Top facts about Steve Clarke, the Scottish manager

Stephen Clarke (born August 29, 1963) is the present coach of the Scotland national team. He is a retired player and professional football boss in Scotland.

Steve Clarke age

is 58.

After playing he was enlisted by former team-mate

to coach at Newcastle, then worked as assistant to Jose Mourinho, Kenny Dalglish and Gianfranco Zola at Chelsea, Liverpool and West Ham United respectively. He was widely respected by players and his peers for his work on the training ground.

Clarke coached Reading and West Bromwich Albion. He was named Kilmarnock manager in October 2017 after coaching at Aston Villa. In May of this year, he was named manager of Scotland's national team. He guided the squad to their first major event in 23 years, UEFA Euro 2020.

Steve Clarke's ability to leave impressions on players has been the cornerstone of his managerial work, which has peaked by becoming the first man to lead Scotland to a major tournament in more than two decades. However, he was blamed for Scotland being eliminated from Euro 2020 because people believed that he did not pick young Rangers players.

Top facts about Steve Clarke:

The first

fact about Steve Clarke

is that he played for St Mirren, Chelsea, and Scotland, collecting three major championships with Chelsea towards the conclusion of his career. He served as a coach at Newcastle United, Chelsea, West Ham United, and Liverpool after quitting as a player.

Steve Clarke early life

Steve Clarke was born in the Ayrshire town of Saltcoats.  Steve is the junior sibling of Paul Clarke, a retired semi-professional soccer player who is 7 years his senior.

Regarding

Steve Clarke childhood

, it should be mentioned that he used to play football with his father Eddie, Uncle Jim, and brothers Paul and Michael when he was younger. His father and uncle both played for Morton and Cambridge City while he was a youngster at Celtic.

Speaking about

Steve Clarke parents

, his father, Eddie, whom he regards as his greatest inspiration, was a top amateur player in Ayrshire but was never able to achieve his full potential owing to a serious injury sustained in a car accident when he was young.

Kilmarnock used Paul as a center-back. During the 1982-83 seasons, he faced off against his younger brother Steve. Steve was playing for St Mirren at the time. Michael, Steve's younger brother, has passed away. He has a sister as well.

Steve Clarke personal life

Karen Clarke, Steve's wife, is a happy couple. He and his loving wife are still happily married, with no indications or rumors of divorce. They are the grandparents of their two boys and the parents of their two sons. Their kids and grandchildren are also British.

An important fact about Steve Clarke is that after more than three decades of service as a player and coach, Steve was in the midst of a happy existence. He enjoyed spending time with his grandchildren, golfing, and fishing.

There was one powerful lady who recognized the potential in him and believed he was too young to retire. She is, without a doubt, his wife.

Steve claims that his wife saw him become bored and irritated while watching sports and shouting at the television.

She encouraged him to return to his job. He returned to management soon after, having been appointed at Kilmarnock.

Steve Clarke professional career

Regarding Steve Clarke professional career, it should be mentioned that he played for St Mirren,

and the Scotland national team, winning three major trophies with Chelsea towards the end of his career. After retiring as a player, he moved into coaching and worked at Newcastle United, Chelsea, West Ham United, and

.

Steve Clarke club career

Steve started his club career with St Mirren after being discovered while playing for Beith Juniors. Clarke began his career at St Mirren on a part-time basis while completing an instrument engineering apprenticeship.

Chelsea

Another notable

fact about Steve Clarke

is that the wisecracking, roving Steve Clarke who joined Chelsea in January 1987 bore little similarity to the dogged, defined campaigner of later years, but Steve was a consistent performer for the vast bulk of his 11-year career with The Blues, and he deserved to be a part of the club's eventual success in his final seasons at Stamford Bridge.

John Hollins signed 'Clarkey' from St Mirren for £400,000 and he made his debut as a replacement in a 2-2 tie against Norwich. He made his professional debut at center-back in an injury-plagued Chelsea defense that lost 1-0 to Watford in an FA Cup fourth-round game.

Clarke made his premier League debut versus Sheffield Wednesday a week later and looked like a class act right away, cementing his place in the team for the rest of the season. In reality, he had joined a club in disarray, with the previous season's championship campaign replaced by a relegation fight in 1986/87, and a number of players at differences with the management team.

An important fact about Steve Clarke is that he was compensated for his remarkable form when he was chosen along with his colleague and clubmate, Pat Nevin.

Chelsea had signed the excellent Tony Dorigo at left-back before the start of the new season, providing the Blues a defensive solidity in the wide areas that they had lacked for some time. It should have provided a solid foundation for success, and the early signs were encouraging.

Chelsea had made a strong start to the 1987/88 season, and following a 3-0 win against Watford in late September, they were in second position in the league. Clarke had scored his first goal for the club three weeks previously, when he connected up brilliantly with Nevin and Darren Wood before firing past Hans Segers in the

goal to cap an amazing comeback as The Blues won 4-3 after overcoming a 3-1 half-time deficit.

However, Chelsea's early season euphoria faded quickly, and they went on a dismal run in which they won just one of their final 26 League games, ultimately being relegated through the Play-Offs. Clarke was the only player to make more appearances than Dorigo throughout the season, and his form was such that he was also capped five times by Scotland.

Fortunately, it was just a short visit to Division Two. Clarkey took advantage of the drop in class to find himself regularly among the goal assists with his decisive running and crossing from the right flank.

A notable fact about Steve Clarke is that he made an excellent comeback to the top division with the 1990 World Cup on the horizon. He had only scored once for the club before, but in the fall of 1989, he was prolific in front of goal. His first goal of the season came against Tottenham Hotspur, as he raced onto a Micky Hazard through ball and put Chelsea into a 4-1 lead at Three Point Lane.

His next goal came a month later at Scarborough, but in typical Chelsea fashion, the squad that had just thrashed a Spurs side loaded with internationals contrived to let a 2-0 second-half lead slip away, losing 3-2.

Clarke's best moment as a Chelsea player occurred in mid-November, when he took advantage of

's Martin Keown's mistake to score the game's lone goal and put the Blues to the top of the league. The expected downturn began in December, when Chelsea were thrashed four times, but Steve found the net again in a 4-2 loss to QPR. Worse was still to come.

An important fact about Steve Clarke is that in February, he had a back injury during a Scotland training session, ending his season early. Chelsea finished sixth and won the Full Members Cup, but Clarkey was forced to miss the Wembley final and, more importantly, the World Cup in Italia 90.

Steve's frustrations were compounded at the start of the new season when manager Bobby Campbell chose to play young Gareth Hall at right-back, despite the fact that he had deputized for Clarke at the conclusion of the previous campaign.

Throughout the 1992/93 season, Clarkey was hindered by injuries. He was forced to sit out until January due to an injury he suffered against Aston Villa in early September. After his comeback, he battled for form and fitness, and it wasn't until the last two months of the season that he reclaimed his starting spot.

Glenn Hoddle's appointment as Player/Manager in the summer of 1993 breathed fresh life into Steve's career. Despite playing for a club that suffered mightily in the League, Clarke's form was simply outstanding, whether he was playing as a wing-back or a conventional right-back.

His newfound confidence was on display against Sheffield Wednesday in the FA Cup 4th round, when he set up Chelsea's goal with a superb run and ball that left Gavin Peacock free to score. The Blues made it to the final that year, but

defeated them 4-0. Clarke, on the other hand, was deservedly named Player of the Year by the club's fans at the conclusion of the season. Steve missed the first half of the next season due to injury once again.

A notable fact about Steve Clarke is that in 1996/97, Steve Clarke finally got his due reward after a decade of outstanding service to the Blues. A crowd of just under 13, 000 saw his testimonial versus

a week before the season started, with the Dutch team winning 3-2.

Ruud Gullit, the new manager, started the season with a 3-5-2 system, keeping Clarkey in the center of the defense. The 33-year-old Scot thrived with a run of excellent performances, even captaining the side on several instances when Dennis Wise was not selected.

With the cool presence of Frank Leboeuf behind him and the rugged Erland Johnsen alongside him, the 33-year-old Scot flourished with a run of outstanding performances. The FA Cup run was the season's high point. Clarkey started every game as Chelsea advanced to their second Final in four years.

Clarke sprang up at the far-post to seem to head the goal that gave The Blues a 2-0 lead in the quarter-final against Portsmouth, but Wise denied him his moment of glory by claiming the last touch. Middlesbrough were defeated 2-0 in the final.

Chelsea won their first major trophy in 26 years, and the emotions at the conclusion of the game, when Wise and Clarke, two Chelsea legends, hugged on the Wembley field, will live on in the hearts of Chelsea fans. You win one award and then two more very quickly, just like the buses.

Clarkey's last season at Stamford Bridge could not have gone any better. It all started at Wembley Stadium, when Chelsea lost on penalties to Manchester United in the Charity Shield, and finished at the Rasunda Stadium in Stockholm, where Chelsea won the European Cup Winners Cup.

Following an early-season injury, Clarke worked his way back into first-team contention around Christmas. He filled in as captain for Wise on many occasions, and it was on one of these occasions that he scored his first goal since the header against QPR six years before.

It occurred against Liverpool in April, when his low shot on the turn past Brad Friedel to restore Chelsea's advantage in a 4-1 victory. He had a look of complete astonishment on his face as he rejoiced.

Clarkey was selected among the replacements as the Blues reached the Coca-Cola Cup Final that season. After 75 minutes, he came in to replace Dan Petrescu and was on the field as Chelsea won with two extra-time goals.

The Stamford Bridge side completed the season in a creditable fourth position and subsequently won the ECWC by defeating VFB Stuttgart 1-0. Steve Clarke made his last appearance for Chelsea in the encounter in Stockholm.

Scotland

Clarke played six times for Scotland's national team. On 9 September 1987, he made his debut in a 2–0 friendly victory over Hungary at Hampden Park, and six years later, on 27 May 1994, he made his last appearance in a 3–1 friendly defeat to the Netherlands in Utrecht.

Steve Clarke coaching career

Clarke signed Newcastle United in 1998 as an associate coach to Ruud Gullit, his previous Chelsea boss. Clarke was a member of Gullit's coaching staff that enabled Newcastle reach the 1999 FA Cup Final on May 22, 1999, when they were defeated 2–0 by Manchester United thanks to goals from Teddy Sheringham and Paul Scholes.

Chelsea

When José Mourinho was named coach of Blues in the summer of 2004, Clarke was elevated to assistant manager after a spell in command of the youth squads.

A notable fact about Steve Clarke is that he was a member of the coaching staff that helped Mourinho's Chelsea achieve 2 FA Premier League championships, an FA Cup, and two League Cups in 3 years. Clarke earned his UEFA Pro License in 2006 during this time.

Clarke was kept by Avram Grant when

departed Chelsea in September 2007, but Henk ten Cate was hired in as another associate manager.

At the conclusion of the 2007–08 season, both Grant and ten Cate departed the club. Both BBC Sport and The Times stated at the time that, although Clarke would stay on the Chelsea coaching staff, he would be searching for chances to manage on his own. Chelsea reaffirmed Clarke's position, noting his devotion, respect among Chelsea fans, and efforts after Mourinho's resignation.

West Ham United

Clarke resigned from Chelsea on September 12, 2008, with the hopes of joining West Ham United as an assistant to former Chelsea colleague Gianfranco Zola.

Chelsea originally turned down his resignation, seeking two years' worth of Clarke's pay as compensation. Clarke was named West Ham's first-team coach on September 15 after the clubs reached an agreement.

In the 2008–09 Premier League season, West Ham placed ninth, giving Clarke and Zola new contracts, making Clarke the highest-paid assistant manager in the league.

However, the team suffered the next season, barely escaping relegation. Clarke departed the club by mutual agreement in June 2010, not long after Zola was fired as manager.

Liverpool

Kenny Dalglish hired Clarke as Liverpool's first-team manager on 10 January 2011, two days after Dalglish succeeded the fired Roy Hodgson.

An important

fact about Steve Clarke

is that he was attributed with changing Liverpool's campaign around (together with Dalglish), with a point average of approximately two points per match since his arrival, as well as a better defensive record. Clarke, along with coach Dalglish, signed a three-year deal to stay in his present position as first-team coach on May 12, 2011.

After the dismissal of coach Kenny Dalglish and Liverpool's eighth-place performance in the 2011–12 Premier League, Clarke tendered his resignation to Liverpool on 14 May 2012. The club turned down the offer, however Clarke departed the club on June 6, 2012, after the hiring of new manager Brendan Rodgers. Clarke has said that he was fired by Liverpool.

West Bromwich Albion

Clarke was named coach of West Bromwich Albion on June 8, 2012, and accepted a two-year deal. Clarke's first official managerial position for any team, but the club called to him as "head coach" throughout his tenure.

Albion started the Clarke era with a 3–0 home victory over Liverpool on the first day of the Premier League season in 2012–13. Clarke followed that up with a 1–1 draw away at Tottenham Hotspur and a 2–0 victory over Everton at home.

Clarke lost his first professional match away at Fulham, but West Brom quickly bounced back with a 1–0 win against Reading at home. For the first time since 1980, the team won four straight matches in a succession in November, beating Southampton, Wigan Athletic, Chelsea, and

.

Clarke was awarded November's Premier League coach of the month. Despite losing their following 3 games, Clarke's side would rebound with a 1–1 tie at home against West Ham and a 2–1 victory against Norwich City. West Bromwich Albion were seventh in the league with 30 points at Christmas 2012, just a goal margin behind Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur.

A notable fact about Steve Clarke is that he had some issues during the January transfer window with want-away Nigerian striker Peter Odemwingie, who wanted to join Queens Park Rangers but West Brom refused to sell. After the transfer window drama, Odemwingie was never sold and was subsequently granted time off.

The team failed to replicate its early-season success throughout the month of January. Clarke supervised a 2–0 victory over Liverpool at Anfield, the team's first victory since Boxing Day against QPR, after a dismal run of results in which West Brom failed to win in six straight matches.

On April 27, West Brom won 3–0 against

, their 14th victory of the season. In a Premier League season, this established club records for victories and points.

West Bromwich Albion finished the campaign on a high note, drawing 5–5 with Manchester United in Sir Alex Ferguson's last match as coach. West Brom finished eighth in the league after the draw, their highest result since 1981.

Following a 90th-minute Rickie Lambert penalty, Clarke and West Brom began the new season with a 1–0 home defeat to Southampton at The Hawthorns.

The squad failed to generate goals at early, scoring its first division goal in the fourth match of the campaign versus Fulham when Gareth McAuley netted an injury time header in a 1–1 draw. They won a historic 2–1 triumph over title winners Manchester United on September 28, 2013, their first triumph at Old Trafford in 35 years.

However, they only secured one more game under his management, a 2–0 home loss to Crystal Palace on November 2, 2013. West Brom were minutes from ending José Mourinho's unbeaten home record at Stamford Bridge on November 9, but a contentious penalty judgment insured the game finished 2–2.

Following another tie and four consecutive losses, Clarke was put on gardening absence until May 2014, following a 1–0 loss against Cardiff City on 14 December 2013. The loss dropped the team to 16th position, two points above the relegation zone. They have only won nine of their previous 41 Premier League games.

Reading

Clarke was named coach of

on a two-and-a-half-year contract on December 16, 2014, replacing Nigel Adkins.

Reading beat Bradford City 3–0 in the FA Cup semi-finals on March 16, 2015, to reach their first semi-final in 88 years. Fulham contacted Clarke in November 2015 about becoming their coach. Reading granted Clarke authorization to talk with Fulham, but after the meeting, he chose not to take the job. After a year in command, Reading fired Clarke on December 4, 2015.

Villa Aston

On June 2, 2016, Clarke was appointed as Aston Villa's deputy coach, with former Chelsea colleague Roberto Di Matteo. After the hiring of Steve Bruce in October 2016, he was not maintained.

Kilmarnock

Clarke was named coach of Scottish Premiership team Kilmarnock, the side he had backed as a kid, on 14 October 2017 after a year away from sport.

The team was at the bottom of the league standings when he took over as coach. His debut match as Kilmarnock coach resulted in a 1–1 draw against Rangers, which was his first participation in a Scottish team game in 30 years.

Clarke's team went to Celtic three days later and drew 1–1 once again. After the league's winter break, Kilmarnock defeated champions Celtic at home, with Youssouf Mulumbu netting the game's lone goal to hand Celtic coach

his second domestic loss. Kilmarnock ended in fifth position overall, establishing a new team record of 59 points in the process. Clarke was awarded the 2017–18 SFWA Manager of the Year.

Clarke's outstanding performance extended the next year, resulting in a third-place finish and Kilmarnock's European qualifying. He also received both the PFA Scotland and the SFWA coach of the year honors.

Clarke departed Kilmarnock after the league season finished to take over as manager of the national team.

Scotland

Clarke was named boss of the Scotland national team in May 2019, with a contract that runs through the conclusion of FIFA World Cup qualifying in 2022.

On his start, the Scots defeated Cyprus 2–1 at home in UEFA Euro 2020 qualification on June 8. The squad subsequently lost four games in a row, two of them by a score of 4–0, thus ending any hopes of qualification for Euro 2020 directly. Scotland beat Serbia 4–5 on penalties after a 1–1 draw on November 12, 2020, to earn a spot in the postponed finals through the UEFA Nations League route.

Steve Clarke social media

Regarding

Steve Clarke social media

, it should be mentioned that he does not have an Instagram or twitter page and he is not active on social media platforms.

Steve Clarke body measurements

Speaking about

Steve Clarke body measurements

, it should be mentioned that the Scottish coach is 6 ft 1 in (185 cm) and weighs 171 lbs (78 kg).

Steve Clarke net worth and salary

Steve Clarke net worth

is estimated to be around $5 million. He made this amount of fortune as a player and a manager in football. Speaking about Steve Clarke salary, it should be mentioned that he gets about £500,000 per year plus qualification bonuses and his contract expires after the World Cup finals next year.

As the coronavirus crisis wreaked havoc on football in Scotland, Steve Clarke and Ian Maxwell, his chief executive, took ten percent pay cuts.

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