Clarkson eyes Premier spot with Bristol City

David Clarkson immediately set out his Premier League ambitions after completing his move from Motherwell to Bristol City.

The Scotland international striker, 23, penned a three-year deal at Bristol City yesterday afternoon after the two clubs last week agreed a fee believed to eventually be worth £800,000 dependent on the fulfilment of various clauses and add-ons.

And Clarkson, who has spent six seasons with Motherwell since being handed a Scottish Premier League senior debut at just 17, believes he is joining a club capable of matching his personal ambitions of playing in the English top-flight.

He said: "The club's ambition is clearly to win promotion to the Premier League and that's my aim as a player.

"Last season the club just missed out on the play-offs but that will be our minimum aim this year. We want to challenge for promotion.

"Bristol City is a big club and I'm really looking forward to getting going. I came down on Thursday to see the place. The gaffer took me to see the training facilities and the stadium.

"I've spoken to a few people about the club and the fans are certainly passionate about their football – they pack the stadium week in, week out."

Clarkson is a regular member of George Burley's Scotland squad, having scored on his debut against Czech Republic last summer – but has won only one further cap. He has since captained the Scotland 'B' side against Northern Ireland in May this year.

Clarkson enjoyed two impressive debut seasons at Motherwell before suffering a case of burn-out in his third season, but he kicked on again and returned to the form he showed when he first burst on the scene.

He scored 14 times for Motherwell last season – the top scorer outside the Old Firm teams – and has scored 56 goals in 253 outings for Motherwell.

He believes that the switch to Ashton Gate will now see him improve as a player and help push him further up the pecking order at international level.

"Moving here will help my international aspirations," he said. "I feel I've done well to get two caps already at such a young age and I want to build on that.

"I've appeared twice as a substitute so far and I'm hoping to improve on that with starts before long. I'm still young and I've a lot to learn and at Bristol City I can do that."

Clarkson becomes City boss Gary Johnson's first signing of the summer and he said: "I think we've got him at the right time and in a few years time he will be worth a lot of money. I think the things we do here will help him improve.

"He'll certainly improve in the Championship, where it's competitive week in, week out.

"Having said all that, he's not here to be a player in a year or two's time, he's here for now. He needs a good pre-season to get into our mentality and fitness. I'm sure he'll do that.

"We kept an eye on him playing for Motherwell last season. He's done well to get himself into the Scotland squad and he's only 23 so there's plenty of potential there.

"He's scored a lot of goals for Motherwell, bearing in mind they aren't the best side in the Scottish Premier League. There's the big two – Celtic and Rangers – and the likes of Hibs and Hearts too.

"We think he's a good goalscorer, but also a creator. He's got a good spirit, he works hard and tracks back and that's what we like to see."