The 40-year-old have come out of retirement and joined Bournemouth who will face Port Vale today.
Claridge said: “My career has gone full circle. Playing 1,000 games is a great achievement — but I still love the game as much as I did when I played my first match for Bournemouth.
“I get a lot of stick from people like Dennis Wise, but I am fitter now than I ever have been.”
