 Clifford was appointed captain of the team in 1951 and claimed a Munster Championship medal after scoring 2-04 in the 5-11 to 1-03 victory over Limerick.He later won an All-Ireland Championship medal after leading Cork to a 4-05 to 1-08 victory over Galway in the All-Ireland final.Clifford's minor career ended after a defeat by Tipperary in the 1952 Munster Championship.