"It is a little bit of a step sideways," said Clarke, who will spend the next few months at Academy HQ in Loughborough before going on the A tour of the United Arab Emirates and Sri Lanka.
"But I didn't have a good season, didn't score enough runs or take wickets and can have no real complaints about being dropped. The only way I can get back into the England set-up is by working hard and producing performances."
Clarke is by no means the first player to experience a sudden slump in form after sprinting from the blocks.
The situation at The Oval hardly helped, with a new captain (Jon Batty) and a new coach (Steve Rixon) trying to introduce their ideas to a team in transition.
But Clarke believes his problems were mainly down to the fact he put himself under too much pressure.
"I started to worry too much about my game - looking too closely into it," he said.
"In previous years I just went out and played. I just did what came naturally.
"This season I put myself under pressure by telling myself I had to score runs to stay in the England set-up."
Clarke is now drawing a line under the summer.
"What I have to do with the Academy is to get fitter and stronger, work on my technique and then put in some good performances.
"I felt comfortable at [international] level and believe I can perform there."
