Steve Clarke facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Steve Clarke

Clarke as manager of Scotland in 2019
Personal information
Full name	Stephen Clarke
Date of birth	(1963-08-29) 29 August 1963 (age 61)
Place of birth	Saltcoats, Scotland
Height	5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
Position(s)	Right-back
Team information
Current team	Scotland (manager)
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
	Beith Juniors
1982–1987	St Mirren	200	(7)
1987–1998	Chelsea	330	(7)
Total		530	(14)
International career
1983	Scotland U19
1983–1985	Scotland U21	8	(0)
1987–1990	Scotland B	2	(0)
1987–1994	Scotland	6	(0)
Managerial career
1999	Newcastle United (caretaker)
2012–2013	West Bromwich Albion
2014–2015	Reading
2017–2019	Kilmarnock
2019–	Scotland
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Stephen Clarke (born 29 August 1963) is a Scottish professional football manager and former player. He is currently the manager of the Scotland national team.

Clarke played as a defender for teams like St Mirren and Chelsea. He won three big trophies with Chelsea near the end of his playing career. After he stopped playing, he became a coach. He worked at several top clubs, including Newcastle United, Chelsea, West Ham United, and Liverpool.

Later, Clarke became a manager himself. He managed West Bromwich Albion and Reading. After coaching at Aston Villa, he took over Kilmarnock in 2017. He led Kilmarnock to a great season, helping them get a spot in a European competition. In May 2019, he became the manager of the Scotland national team. He successfully led Scotland to qualify for UEFA Euro 2020 and UEFA Euro 2024, which were their first major tournaments in many years.

Steve Clarke's Playing Days

Starting Out at St Mirren

Steve Clarke was born in Saltcoats, Scotland. His older brother, Paul, was also a footballer. Steve was discovered while playing for a team called Beith Juniors. He then started his professional career with St Mirren. At first, he was a part-time player for St Mirren. This allowed him to finish his training as an engineer.

Playing for Chelsea Football Club

In January 1987, Clarke moved to Chelsea for £422,000. He played for Chelsea until 1998, appearing in 421 matches. He was a key part of the Chelsea teams that won the 1997 FA Cup Final, the 1998 Football League Cup Final, and the 1998 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup Final. His last game for Chelsea was the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup final in Stockholm. In 2005, fans voted him into Chelsea's best team of the century as the right-back.

Clarke later shared that he was very grateful Chelsea signed him. It meant he and his family could move away from some difficult social issues in Scotland.

Representing Scotland National Team

Clarke played six times for the Scotland national team. His first game was a 2–0 win against Hungary in 1987. His last game was a 3–1 loss to the Netherlands in 1994. Even though Scotland qualified for four major tournaments during that time, he was not chosen for any of those squads.

Steve Clarke: From Player to Coach

Assistant Manager at Newcastle United

In 1998, Clarke joined Newcastle United as an assistant manager. He worked under Ruud Gullit, who used to be his manager at Chelsea. Clarke helped Newcastle reach the 1999 FA Cup Final in May 1999, where they finished second to Manchester United.

After Gullit resigned, Clarke was the caretaker manager for one game. He then stayed at the club for a while, working under manager Bobby Robson.

Coaching Success at Chelsea

Clarke as assistant manager of Chelsea in 2007

After coaching Chelsea's youth teams, Clarke became assistant manager in 2004. This happened when José Mourinho became the new manager. Clarke was part of the coaching team that helped Chelsea win two Premier League titles, one FA Cup, and two League Cups. This was all in just three seasons under Mourinho. During this time, Clarke also earned his UEFA Pro Licence, which is a high coaching qualification.

When Mourinho left Chelsea in 2007, Clarke stayed on as assistant. He was very loyal to the club and popular with the fans. He wanted to become a manager himself.

Moving to West Ham United

On 12 September 2008, Clarke resigned from Chelsea. He wanted to join West Ham United as an assistant to his former Chelsea teammate Gianfranco Zola. Chelsea first said no, asking for money. But after a deal was made, Clarke became West Ham's first-team coach on 15 September.

West Ham finished ninth in the Premier League in the 2008–09 season. This good result earned Clarke and Zola longer contracts. However, the next season was tough, and the team barely avoided being relegated. In June 2010, Clarke left West Ham by agreement, shortly after Zola was dismissed.

Time at Liverpool Football Club

On 10 January 2011, Clarke became first-team coach at Liverpool. He joined when Kenny Dalglish took over as manager. Clarke was praised for helping Liverpool improve their season. They started getting more points and defending much better. In May 2011, Clarke signed a three-year contract to stay as coach.

In May 2012, Clarke offered to resign after manager Dalglish was sacked. Liverpool first refused, but he left the club in June 2012 when Brendan Rodgers became the new manager. Clarke later said that Liverpool had actually sacked him.

First Manager Role at West Bromwich Albion

On 8 June 2012, Steve Clarke was appointed manager of West Bromwich Albion. He signed a two-year contract. This was Clarke's first permanent job as a manager. The club often called him their "head coach."

A Strong Start in 2012–13

West Brom started the season well under Clarke. They won 3–0 against Liverpool on the first day of the 2012–13 Premier League season. They also drew with Tottenham Hotspur and beat Everton. In November, the team won four games in a row, which hadn't happened since 1980. They beat Southampton, Wigan, Chelsea, and Sunderland. Clarke was named Premier League Manager of the Month for November 2012.

By Christmas 2012, West Brom was seventh in the league. They finished the season in a memorable way, drawing 5–5 with Manchester United. This was Sir Alex Ferguson's last match as a manager. West Brom finished 8th in the table, their best finish since 1981.

Challenges in 2013–14

The next season, West Brom struggled to score goals at first. They got their first league goal in their fourth game. On 28 September 2013, they had a historic 2–1 win against Manchester United at Old Trafford. This was their first win there in 35 years. However, they only won one more game after that. On 14 December 2013, Clarke was removed from his role after a 1–0 loss to Cardiff City. The team was then just two points above the relegation zone.

Managing Reading Football Club

On 16 December 2014, Clarke became the manager of Reading. He signed a two-and-a-half-year deal. On 16 March 2015, Clarke led Reading to a 3–0 win against Bradford City in the FA Cup. This meant they reached their first semi-final in 88 years. In November 2015, another club, Fulham, wanted Clarke as their manager. Reading let him talk to them, but he decided not to take the job. Clarke was sacked by Reading on 4 December 2015, after one year in charge.

Short Spell at Aston Villa

Clarke was hired by Aston Villa on 2 June 2016. He became assistant manager, working with his former Chelsea teammate Roberto Di Matteo. He left the club in October 2016 when a new manager, Steve Bruce, was appointed.

Returning Home to Kilmarnock

After a year away from football, Clarke became manager of Scottish Premiership club Kilmarnock on 14 October 2017. This was the club he supported as a child. When he took over, Kilmarnock was at the bottom of the league. His first game was a 1–1 draw against Rangers. Three days later, his team drew 1–1 against Celtic, the reigning champions.

Kilmarnock finished the season in fifth place, setting a new club record for points. Clarke was named the SFWA Manager of the Year for 2017–18. He continued his great work the next season, leading Kilmarnock to a third-place finish and a spot in a European competition. He also won two more manager of the year awards. Soon after the season ended, Clarke left Kilmarnock to manage the national team.

Leading the Scotland National Team

In May 2019, Clarke was appointed manager of the Scotland national team. His contract was set to run until the end of the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification. In his first game on 8 June, Scotland won 2–1 against Cyprus in a Euro 2020 qualifier.

On 12 November 2020, Scotland beat Serbia in a penalty shootout after a 1–1 draw. This win meant they qualified for the delayed UEFA Euro 2020 tournament. It was their first major tournament since 1998. In the tournament, Scotland drew with England but lost to the Czech Republic and Croatia.

Later in 2021, six wins in a row helped Scotland finish second in their World Cup qualifying group. This sent them to the play-offs, where they lost to Ukraine. In 2022, Scotland won their Nations League B group. This earned them promotion to League A.

Before UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying, Clarke signed a new contract with the SFA until 2026. Scotland won their first five matches in Euro 2024 qualifying. They secured qualification for the tournament on 15 October 2023, with two games still to play.

Career Statistics

International Appearances

Managerial Record

Honours and Awards

As a Player

Chelsea

• FA Cup: 1996–97
• Football League Cup: 1997–98
• UEFA Cup Winners' Cup: 1997–98

Individual Awards

• Chelsea Player of the Year: 1994
• Chelsea Centenary XI: 2004–05 (Voted into Chelsea's best team of their first 100 years)

As an Assistant Manager

Chelsea

• Premier League: 2004–05, 2005–06
• FA Cup: 2006–07
• Football League Cup: 2004–05

As a Manager

Scotland

• UEFA Nations League
  • League B (1): 2022–23 (Promoted to a higher league)

Individual Awards

• SFWA Manager of the Year: 2017–18, 2018–19
• PFA Scotland Manager of the Year: 2018–19
• SPFL Premiership Manager of the Year: 2018–19
• Premier League Manager of the Month: November 2012
• Scottish Premiership Manager of the Month: December 2017, February 2018, March 2018

See also

In Spanish: Steve Clarke para niños