Liverpool

Three years ago, everything was going according to plan for Bobby Clark on paper. He was playing

Published

9 months ago

April 2, 2024

Exclusive: Lee Clark opens up on Bobby’s Liverpool rise and how Jurgen Klopp has helped him

Rousing the Kop speaks exclusively to Lee Clark about his son’s journey at Liverpool so far, and Jurgen Klopp’s influence.

Three years ago, everything was going according to plan for Bobby Clark on paper. He was playing
for his father’s boyhood club, Newcastle United, and representing the Three Lions at U16 level. Like his father, Lee, he was on course to progress through the ranks at the Magpies.

For most young men this would have been satisfactory, but Bobby Clark, yearned for more.

“I was working overseas,” Lee Clark recalled, who was managing in Sudan at the time. “But I was
getting information back from Bobby’s mum that he was coming in a bit upset after training sessions and not really enjoying what he was doing.

“This was the complete opposite of what Bobby was about. Bobby was one of these boys that would turn up an hour or 45 minutes before the sessions were meant to be on and do some work on his own while the coaches were setting up the sessions.”

“We had a bit of a meeting with the people at Newcastle and it got to the stage where Bobby felt things weren’t right and that he would like to consider other options.”

Regarded as one of the most talented players in the country in his age-group, Clark received plenty of interest from other clubs, including from abroad. However, in the end, it was Liverpool’s proposal that was the most appealing one.

“Liverpool blew Bobby away with what they knew about him and what the plans they had for him,” Clark said.

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Chelsea v Liverpool – Carabao Cup Final
Photo by Andrew Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images
The beginning
By the time Bobby Clark was born, his father Lee had come to the end of his career. Bobby was still just a baby when Lee hung up his boots at the end of the 2005/06 season, after 15 years in England’s top flight, where he represented Newcastle United over 250 times.

From a young age, Bobby, like his father took to football.

“All his life because I’ve got into coaching and then management, he’s always been in around football clubs. And like any boy when they’re young, he had a ball at his feet.”

Bobby joined Birmingham City’s academy back in 2013, while his father was the manager of the
club. Although, it was through no aid from his father that he joined the club. Bobby had earned his place by catching the eye of the club’s academy scouts while playing grassroots football.

“He was playing for the local village team and one of the academy scouts from Birmingham saw him and spoke to his his mum and said: ‘would you like to go and the academy?’ She thought it was a bit of a joke and she explained who I was, but he wasn’t aware.”

At Birmingham, Bobby learned his trade alongside the Bellingham brothers, including Jobe, who was in the same team as him at the time.

“Jobe and Bobby grew up together at Birmingham City on the same team, and then Jude was just a couple of years above.

“He’s very close with them two, lads. And since Bobby moved away from them they’ve been in the England squads together, so there’s still that connection. He’s got a good relationship with them.”

Goal and a win v 🇨🇭 to end the camp🔥 pic.twitter.com/fObGlLedpw

— Bobby clark (@Bobbylclark10) March 27, 2023
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Eventually, when Lee Clark left Birmingham City, Bobby would move back up North, and joined
Newcastle United.

Why Liverpool?
For Bobby, Liverpool’s proposal to bring him in from Newcastle United was an enticing one. He held talks with the club’s academy coaches, and was given a tour around Liverpool’s training facilities and Anfield.

“Bobby knew a lot about the club. Bobby had been around people and legends of that football club. I was managed by three of the biggest names in the club in terms of Kevin Keegan, Graham Souness and Kenny Daglish. And someone we are really close to is Terry McDermott and his family.

“So, Bobby didn’t need to have any look up the history of Liverpool. He’d been around it. He’d seen what the history of the club was from, you know, ex-players and stuff like that. He knew what the expectation was for players who represented the club, about winning major trophies.”

Another appeal about Liverpool was the club’s commitment to creating a pathway for its youngsters into the first team. Prior to Clark’s arrival, the likes of Harvey Elliott, Curtis Jones and Trent
Alexander-Arnold had already broken into the first team from the academy.

“You can see that with other youngsters [as well]. There’s a pathway from the terrific academy that
they’ve got the first team and that’s proved to be right and proved to be successful.”

From the beginning, Liverpool also took care to make Bobby as comfortable as possible off the pitch. When he arrived at the club he was moved into a family home where he lived alongside Conor Bradley, Stefan Bajcetic and Owen Beck.

“They made that transition, the movement from home to Liverpool so easy. They moved him into a family with four of the lads, and he settled straight away.”

The secret to Liverpool’s academy success
At Liverpool, Clark found his enjoyment for football again. At Newcastle United, he had played mostly as a number ten. However, at Liverpool, he was moved to play on the left-wing to suit the club’s system – which was exactly set-up in the same way as Jurgen Klopp’s first team.

Clark took to the position like duck to water. In his first season, he made 18 goal contributions in 23 appearances for the club’s U18 team, and by the end of the season, he had even made his debut at U21 level.

At the beginning of next season, Clark was promoted to the first team and spent pre-season with Jurgen Klopp’s squad. A month later, he would also make his Premier League debut coming on as a substitute in the 9-0 victory over Bournemouth.

“Everything that was talked about, it’s happened so far,” Clark said.

Bobby continued to deliver on the pitch. His progress was helped by the clear pathway set-out at Liverpool.

“The coaches really deliver what the first team manager expects. The academy coaches deliver the sessions, provide the tactics and you know, talk about what’s expected in the first team to make you aware when you’re playing in the youth teams, how the manager wants things to be done in the first team.

“It makes that transition easier when they eventually get up to that level of football.”

As well as having a cohesive system, one of the academy’s major principles is also that of discipline. Players are not allowed to have their phones while at the club’s facilities and they are also banned from having a car with an engine that is more than 1.3 litres.

“There’s still room for old school discipline and old school rules and Liverpool do that,” Clark said.

“There’s no need for phones to be in the training ground. They want their lads to communicate with each other. They want them to talk not just when they are on the pitch to build those relationships with each other.

“It’s also about not being flashy. It’s not what you’ve got materialistically. It’s what you do on the grass that’s more important. So that’s what the discipline is there for.

“Then once you get to a certain level and you’ve played hundreds and hundreds of games in the first team, you can make your own decisions. But they’re giving you the tools during the early part of your career to tell you what’s important in life, what’s important in football, and what’s not really that necessary.

“All that stuff for me is terrific, and it helps the boys mature and understand that what happens on the grass is the most important.”

Jurgen Klopp’s influence
Last summer Liverpool underwent a major reshuffling in midfield. This gave Clark, who spent the previous campaign moving back into midfield for the club’s U21 side from left-wing, the opportunity to showcase his talent in pre-season.

Clark was used regularly in the club’s pre-season fixtures and even netted his first goal in the first
team in a friendly against Leicester City. However, despite the impressive performances, few would have envisaged Clark play the role he has played since in the club’s first team.

Especially, when the club brought in four new signings in the form of Dominik Szoboszlai, Alexis Mac Allister, Wataru Endo and Ryan Gravenberch in Clark’s position. But their arrivals have only helped Clark grow as a player according to his father.

“The quality players that have been brought in changed the dynamic of the team. They are all internationally experienced players and I think that’s probably helped Bobby. When you’re a young player and you’re training with this type of quality and you see what makes these guys the top players that they are, you learn from it if you’re the right type of personality.

“But it’s not just the new players, I think Harvey [Elliott] and Curtis [Jones] being already there, they’ve all helped Bobby as well.”

As well as the players Clark has trained with regularly, the influence of the manager cannot be understated either. Klopp has developed a huge reputation for trusting in his youth players and not being afraid to throw them in at the deep end. He demonstrated that when he introduced Clark and some of his fellow academy teammates in the Carabao Cup final against Chelsea at Wembley.

“He has been unbelievable. We couldn’t ask for a better manager, he’s world-class. Bobby loves playing for him, he loves being around him.”

Part of Klopp’s appeal is his man management. He instils belief in his players and gives them the confidence to thrive when they are called into first team action.

“The manager shows so much trust in them so the players can go out there and express themselves and do what they’ve done in the U21s and in the U18s. They don’t feel like they have to do something different because the manager gives them that confidence and belief.

“He doesn’t just talk about it, he does it. He put Bobby on in a massive game at Craven Cottage in the second leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final at an important stage. He did it in the Carabao Cup final, he did it against Arsenal. It shows. He doesn’t just talk about it. He shows that belief in them.”

“Bobby says that he just tells the boys; ‘make sure you do the defensive side, the pressing side’ which is a huge principle of Liverpool’s game under Jurgen, and then ‘go play with freedom’ and he just gives them that encouragement and confidence.”

Klopp’s influence cannot be understated. According to Clark’s father, the Liverpool manager has played a pivotal role in his son’s development.

“I was gutted when I found out [that Klopp would leave the club] because he has played such a big part in Bobby’s young career. He’s not just a world-class manager, from the stories that Bobby speaks about, he’s also a world-class man, and he’s been brilliant.

“All the staff, Pep [Lijnders], Vitor [Matos] and Peter [Krawietz] have also played a huge part in Bobby’s development in different ways. We as a family couldn’t thank them enough for what they’ve done with Bobby and how he’s been treated.”

AC Sparta Praha v Liverpool FC: Round of 16 First Leg – UEFA Europa League 2023/24
Photo by Marco Steinbrenner/DeFodi Images via Getty Images
The future
There is no denying Bobby is very much following in his father’s footsteps. But Lee hopes, the young man will be able to surpass his career in the future as well.

“He’s got all of the assets that I had, but I think he’s a taller player than me. He’s got more speed than I had. So, he’s got the assets that I had, but he’s got more as well.

“I think there’s more opportunities for him. You know, my career was successful up to a certain level. I never won any major trophies, but Bobby’s already got one in the bag and I think if he stays true to himself and focuses on his game, there is potential to win more both domestically and.in Europe, and hopefully on the international stage as well.”

Having played professionally for well over a decade and managed across the world, Lee Clark knows there will be bumps along the way. However, he has faith that his son will be able to overcome them.

“I think because he’s got the mentality that he wants to be the hardest worker even when the bad times arrive, if you’re the hardest worker, you’ve got a chance.”

The goal now is for Bobby to continue in the same way he has started. Challenging for trophies at one of the best clubs in European football at the moment in Liverpool.

“I’d love him to have a career where he’s up there challenging for the big prizes all the time. He’s starting off in a great way with a great group of players and I would love that to continue but let’s see what the future holds.”

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Evan Ferguson says Liverpool have a player who’s almost impossible to play against

Evan Ferguson is one of the brightest young strikers in the Premier League.

The 19-year-old Irishman has been tipped to do massive things within the game, and while he’s had a tough time as of late, he’s already had some absolutely brilliant moments in the Premier League.

Ferguson has netted big goals against big teams over the past 18 months for Brighton, and it truly does seem as though he plays without fear.

However, according to Ferguson, there is a defender in the Premier League who he feels he really struggles against.

The defender Evan Ferguson struggles against
Speaking to ESPN on TikTok, Ferguson has named Virgil van Dijk as the toughest opponent yet.

“Toughest defender you have faced so far?” Ferguson was asked.

“Van Dijk. He just, he has everything, he’s big, he’s quick, he’s strong, he’s smart. He’s got everything he does,” Ferguson said.

Virgil van Dijk can stop anyone
This isn’t the first time we’ve heard something like this, and it certainly won’t be the last.

Ferguson is exactly the type of striker who is likely to struggle against Van Dijk.

Usually, Ferguson knows he’s got the beating of a defender because he can either out-muscle them or out-pace them, but against Van Dijk, he can’t do either.

Van Dijk is quicker, stronger and smarter than pretty much any striker in the Premier League, and on his day, he is truly impossible to play against.

If Liverpool do end up winning the Premier League this season they will have a lot to thank the Dutchman for, he’s arguably been their best player, and he’s stepped up time and time again in the big moments.

Van Dijk may well be the best defender the Premier League has

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(Video) What Liverpool’s midfield trio did after Salah’s goal will melt hearts
NEWS VIDEOS
Posted by Peter Kenny Jones1 hour ago
(Video) What Liverpool’s midfield trio did after Salah’s goal will melt hearts
Liverpool’s main objective last summer was to build a new midfield and we watched all three new players shine against Brighton, leading to a beautiful moment.

We’ve been waiting all season to see Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai and Wataru Endo in full force and on the same pitch together – it was worth the wait.

READ MORE: (Video) Liverpool fans will love Klopp’s reaction to Szoboszlai’s pressing against Brighton

Following Mo Salah’s winning goal against the Seagulls, all eyes were on our Egyptian King but the trio from midfield had time to celebrate together.

It shows the unity that is already present between all the players and it’s only likely to grow stronger as we approach the end of a memorable campaign.

You can watch Liverpool’s midfield celebrate together (from 12:41) via Liverpool FC on YouTube:

🚨 EOTK Insider with Jan Age Fjortoft: Why Alonso said no to LFC, who will replace Klopp now? The PL winners will be…

MORE STORIES ALEXIS MAC ALLISTER DOMINIK SZOBOSZLAI LIVERPOOL WATARU ENDO
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Ornstein: Prem boss ‘incredibly unlikely’ to replace Klopp at Liverpool with 39-year-old ‘in the mix’
Jason Soutar 14 minutes ago
Reported Liverpool managerial targets Roberto de Zerbi and Xabi Alonso.
Roberto de Zerbi and Xabi Alonso.
It is “incredibly unlikely” that Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi replaces Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool, according to David Ornstein.

De Zerbi is one of the favourites to replace Klopp at the end of the season.

De Zerbi to Liverpool ‘incredible unlikely’ – Ornstein
Following Klopp’s announcement that he will step down this summer, Bayer Leverkusen head coach and ex-Reds midfielder Xabi Alonso quickly emerged as the favourite.

However, the Spaniard ruled himself out of the running and is now expected to leave Leverkusen in 2025, with many expecting him to join Real Madrid.

The Anfield faithful got a taste of De Zerbi’s football on Sunday when Liverpool beat Brighton 2-1, but it is only glimpses they will see going forward.

According to transfer expert Ornstein, it is “incredibly unlikely” that the Reds pursue the Seagulls favourite, who has also been linked with Bayern Munich.

“My information is that it’s incredibly unlikely that Liverpool will go for De Zerbi,” Ornstein said on The Athletic FC Podcast. “I’m being told that’s not going to happen.

“And I see the stories continue to propel, and also see that he’s heavily linked with Bayern Munich, so let’s see on that one.”

READ MORE: Four Premier League bosses in top 10 next Liverpool manager candidates

This leaves Sporting boss Ruben Amorim as the most likely to succeed Klopp in the summer.

The Portuguese is doing a great job at Sporting and Ornstein has confirmed he is “in the mix” to join Liverpool and that “some conversations have taken place”.

“Amorim is definitely in the mix,” he continued. “His body of work at Sporting Lisbon is really impressive.I think a member of his backroom staff on strength and conditioning used to work at Liverpool and is said to be really important to Amorim at Sporting.

“I think some conversations have taken place.”

READ NEXT: Which Premier League managers have been shown the most yellow and red cards this season?

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Ian Wright says he’s noticed something ‘big’ about Liverpool’s remaining Premier League fixturesPhoto by Richard Sellers/Sportsphoto/Allstar via Getty Images
Ian Wright says he’s noticed something ‘big’ about Liverpool’s remaining Premier League fixtures
Tue 2 April 2024 12:30
James Brooke
Liverpool have just nine Premier League games remaining under Jurgen Klopp’s stewardship.

The Reds are set to lose their best manager of the modern era. Once the matches are done, let’s hope Liverpool are hoisting aloft the league trophy to soften the blow.

It isn’t going to be easy, mind you. With Arsenal and Manchester City in hot pursuit, the Reds might just have to be perfect to win Klopp a second league title.

Looking at their fixtures, that’s going to be difficult. But you also can’t say that it’s impossible. Four out of the nine games are at Anfield, and you’d back them to win all of those.

As William Saliba said today, the atmosphere at Liverpool’s home can take them through pretty much any game. So, perhaps it’s those away fixtures that the Reds need to watch. Ian Wright certainly thinks so anyway.

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What has Ian Wright said
Wright is famously a huge Arsenal fan, so his opinion on the matter is always going to be a little biased here. However, the pundit also has a very obvious soft spot for Liverpool, too.

So, when analysing the Reds’ remaining fixtures on The Kelly and Wrighty Show, you take him at face value.

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And we think he’s potentially bang on the money when he says that Liverpool will win and lose this title race in their away fixtures.

“When you look at Liverpool’s [fixtures] and you look at those three away games, you just feel like they’ve got to make sure they get something from those games,” says Wright.

“Those three there – Fulham, Everton and West Ham – to be away from home three games in a row. I think that’s big.”

Three huge matches in six days that could well define Liverpool’s season. Game on.

When do Liverpool play these three matches
Before Liverpool can even think about this trio of away trips, they’ve got three other games to get through first.

Thursday night’s visit of Sheffield United should not be taken lightly, but is a big opportunity for the Reds to get three more points on the board. Liverpool then have a massive looking trip to Old Trafford before taking on Crystal Palace at Anfield.

Then comes the ‘big’ three that Wright is referring to. They all come within the space of less than a week. Fulham are first up, on the 21st of April. The Merseyside Derby then follows on the 24th, with another visit to London in store for West Ham on the 27th.

If Liverpool can make it through to April 28th on top of the league table, you’d back them from there. A huge four weeks ahead.

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Liverpool suffer ‘ANOTHER SETBACK’ despite ‘significant advantage’ over Man City
Editor F365 1 hour ago

Liverpool managerial target Ruben Amorim has impressed during his time at Sporting.
Liverpool suffer ANOTHER SETBACK. When will they ever catch a break? Still, it could be worse, they could be Erling Haaland…

When will Liverpool catch a break?
‘ANOTHER SETBACK FOR THE REDS!’ screams the Mirror as they report that ‘Ruben Amorim doubles down on Liverpool stance after Xabi Alonso pulls out of race’.

And you will be entirely shocked to your core that actual Sporting Lisbon boss Ruben Amorim refuses to talk about the Liverpool job while they are literally one point ahead of Benfica in the Portuguese league.

You know what would have been a ‘SETBACK FOR THE REDS’? If they were about to employ the sort of pr*ck who openly courted another club’s interest while in the middle of a title race.

This means more significant
‘Liverpool could now have significant advantage in title battle with Arsenal and Man City’ is the headline in the Mirror, and you might think there is some clever-clever nonsense going on here, when actually the ‘significant advantage’ appears to be the literal two-point lead they have over Arsenal and three-point lead they have over Manchester City.

‘It’s only a small lead, but it could be significant for Liverpool in the title race,’ writes a giddy David Anderson. ‘Jurgen Klopp’s side hold a two-point lead over Arsenal and three over champions Manchester City as the title race enters the final lap with nine games to go.’

It could be significant, as long as you have an incredibly short memory and have no recall of Arsenal being eight points ahead of Manchester City with nine games to go last season.

‘This could be crucial for Liverpool because in their defeats to City in the title races of 2019 and 2022, they were behind at this stage. In 2022, they did brilliantly to reduce the gap on City to just a point and in 2019, they drew twice in the run-in to allow the Blues to triumph.

‘This season is significant and Liverpool have only been ahead of City at this stage under Klopp in 2020, when they walked the league.’

So the gap to Manchester City is ‘crucial’ because they have always won the Premier League (once in six seasons, remember) when they have been ahead at this stage of the season. It’s a pattern. So it’s basically nailed on.

Thanks. For. That.

READ: Liverpool, Arsenal or Man City? Roy Keane makes U-turn on Premier League title prediction

How bizarre
There’s a new Manchester City documentary on Netflix and one of the vignettes is about a bonsai tree that Erling Haaland brought into work with him at the club.

This is mentioned by The Sun’s Manchester man Martin Blackburn a full 21 paragraphs into his piece about Haaland after his rotten ‘League Two’ performance against Arsenal on Sunday.

As Blackburn reasonably writes: ‘In many cultures, especially Japan and China, bonsai are seen as a symbol of peace and harmony with those who take time to nurture them given a long life.’

So what’s the headline on The Sun website?

Inside Erling Haaland’s bizarre Man City antics from Enrique Iglesias songs to a magic bonsai tree

‘Magic’? He’s not Jack with his sodding beans.

And even if you concede that having a bonsai tree is ‘bizarre’, how does that become ‘antics’?

By pointing out that he sang an Enrique Iglesias song at his Manchester City initiation, obviously.

Shine on you crazy diamond.

Howe much is that striker in the window?
There is an acceptance that Newcastle United may have to sell players this summer to comply with FFP, and the never-knowingly-interesting Eddie Howe was asked about the possibility of the club selling Alexander Isak and replied in a completely Eddie Howe way:

“He’s an outstanding talent and no one connected with Newcastle would want to lose him.”

Now you or I might see that quote and think ‘well, they wouldn’t want to lose him but…’, but if you are part of the north-east media bubble, then this is where you land…

‘Alexander Isak won’t be sold by Newcastle this summer, says Eddie Howe’ – The Times.

Nope. No, he didn’t.

‘Newcastle will NOT sell Alexander Isak this summer, insists Eddie Howe… as he hails ‘outstanding talent’ amid Arsenal interest in the Swedish striker’ – MailOnline.

First, Eddie Howe has never ‘insisted’ anything in his life. And second, it’s really not up to him and he knows it.

‘Eddie Howe issues hands-off warning over Alexander Isak’ – Telegraph.

Sweet but still no; Howe categorically did nothing of the sort. What he actually did was say the most anodyne, non-committal thing he could muster. As per.

And we absolutely expect Newcastle to sell either Isak or Bruno Guimaraes this summer.

The Hateful Eight
In another dull press conference elsewhere, Ange Postecoglou was asked about Tottenham being potentially caught by Manchester United, who are eight points behind them.

His answer was based entirely on mathematics, as the Premier League table clearly shows that Tottenham are also eight points behind Manchester City in third.

“Can you see us challenging Manchester City? No? Well they’re only eight points ahead of us. If there’s eight points [gap], you either think we can catch Man City who are eight points ahead of us or you think United can catch us.”

Maths, mate.

But put this through the Reach clicks machine for the Express website and…

Tottenham boss brutally puts down Man Utd with clever Man City quip

Not ‘brutal’. Not ‘clever’. Not even a ‘quip’. Unless you are really, really impressed by adding-up.

The same Reach clicks machine was turned on for the Mirror…

Ange Postecoglou makes very intriguing Man Utd point amid Champions League battle

It is indeed ‘intriguing’ that eight points and eight points are the same number of points.

More as we get it.

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Alexander Isak
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