In February 2010 Norwich City Under-16 player Michael Clunan agreed to join the club's academy as a full-time scholar in the summer of 2010. This occured in July 2010

Clunan had joined City's academy in 2002 as an eight year old. A midfielder, he is described as an intelligent player with good technical ability and a very good passing range.

He missed some of the 2010/11 season after he severly gashed his thigh in the academy's Under-18 clash with Huddersfield on 28th August 2010

Michael was retained at the end of the 2011/12 season to play in the Under 21 development squad.

Released by the Canaries in the summer of 2013, Clunan joined non-league Boston United, making his debut on 17th September 2013 against Oxford City. After making two appearances for Boston, Clunan joined Conference North rivals Histon on 10th October 2013.

He moved to Conference North rival Lowestoft for the 2014/15 season.

Clunan joined Dereham at the end of August 2014. He helped them to a seventh place finish in the Ryman League Division One North before joining hometown club Kings Lynn Town on 1st June 2015. “Michael is another good signing for us and he will give me another good option in the midfield areas,” said Lynn manager Gary Setchell.“He is a great passer of the ball and is also very good at bringing others in to play. Despite this signing I’m still looking to bring in another centre half and, of course, a centre forward.”

Clunan captained Kings Lynn to promotion to the National League (North) in 2018/19 after finishing second in the Southern League and winning the play-offs against Warrington Town (Northern League) on 11th May 2019.

On 17th June 2020 it was confirmed that Lynn were winners of the National League South, on a points per game basis due to the premature ending of the season because of Covid-19, and would be promoted into the National League.

Clunan made 43 appearances, scoring six goals in 2021/22 but Lynn were relegated from the National League on 30th April 2022, finishing 21st.

On 23rd May 2023 Clunan signed for National League North rivals Scunthorpe on a one year contract. He had played 47 times for Lynn in the same division in 2022/23 scoring four goals and was named in the divisional team of the year. Talking about departing King's Lynn Town, Clunan said: "I'd been there eight years and had some promotions, and ups and downs there. I'm a King's Lynn boy and it was a very tough decision but ultimately I couldn't turn down an opportunity like Scunthorpe.I'm excited to take on a new challenge, meet all the boys and get things underway. It's a big football club and it belongs a lot higher than National League North. That's the aim and hopefully we can achieve that.