FORMER Latics loanee Harry Clarke made his senior Arsenal debut in last night's friendly with Hibernian.

The young defender, who made his Football League bow while on a season-long loan at Boundary Park last term, made a total of 35 appearances for Latics in all competitions.

Clarke had previously not played higher than Arsenal's U21s, starting their Papa John's Trophy game against Crawley Town before his move to the north west in October last year.

After leaving Latics at the end of last season to return to his parent club for the remainder of the Premier League campaign, the 20-year-old said he was going back to the Emirates a better player for his experiences under both Harry Kewell and former Manchester City defender Keith Curle, and was looking to kick on.

"To have played 35 games in my first season of league football has been an incredible experience," he said at the time.

“It’s gone much better than I expected to be honest with you. To come here, under both managers, and improve – they’ve both shown faith in me so it’s been good.

“When I first got the message that I was coming up here, people were saying I wasn’t ready for it because I’d been in the youth team, they said I didn’t have the mentality.

“They doubted me and it gives me a bit of fire in my belly just to prove them wrong.

“I didn’t expect to play that many games. I only expected to play 10 maybe, I don’t know, because it was such a last-minute thing. But it’s been amazing, I couldn’t ask for a better bunch of boys."

After playing in the first half of last night's game against Hibs at Easter Road, which Arsenal last 2-1, Clarke tweeted: "Proud to have made my first team debut for Arsenal."