Lee Clark speaks to the ECHO’s Keifer MacDonald about how son Bobby came to sign for Liverpool and the exciting next steps he could take as Anfield’s dream unfolds.
When Liverpool and Newcastle United lock horns on Sunday afternoon, there’ll be no love lost from either side.
Indeed, after last season’s seemingly never-ending back-and-forth between both camps, the Reds’ hopes of laying down an early marker in the race for Champions League redemption will be soundtracked by a ferocious St James’ Park.
In attendance in the North East on Sunday afternoon will be former Magpies midfielder Lee Clark, who is regarded as one of the best to pull on the black and white shirt during the Premier League era. Though this weekend will see his allegiances to his boyhood club conflicted as he, and the rest of the Clark family, prepare themselves for a landmark moment.
Set to be involved in Liverpool’s traveling contingent is Lee’s son, Bobby Clark, who made the tough decision to end his seven-year stint at Newcastle’s academy in the summer of 2021. Now, Sunday could see the 18-year-old handed a Premier League outing on familiar territory.
Bobby enjoyed a pre-season breakthrough this summer in the Far East as he bagged his first goal for Liverpool during the 4-0 thrashing of Leicester City at the Singapore National Stadium. And while some supporters may have only then taken notice of the winger-turned-midfielder, he has been on the footballing main stage for most of his junior years.
Having trained with Birmingham City’s Youth Development Centre during his father’s stint as first-team manager at St Andrew’s between 2012 and 2014, Bobby later visited all three of the leading clubs in the North East – Sunderland, Middlesbrough, and Newcastle – when the family relocated back to the area and eventually committed his immediate years to the Magpies.
Upon deciding that a move away from Newcastle would serve best in his pursuit to make a breakthrough in the Premier League, the midfielder was the subject of a charm offensive approach from some of the division’s biggest clubs in the summer of 2021. Liverpool, though, would ultimately win the race for his signature with the helping hand of Reds legend Terry McDermott.
“Why Liverpool? Well, it’s because Bobby felt that was the best place for him after a meeting with different clubs,” says Lee. “I was working away at the time – coaching overseas – and was keeping in touch with Bobby. Once he decided to leave Newcastle, he held talks with the four or five clubs who had agreed with Newcastle.
“But he was just blown away by how much Liverpool knew about him, how much in-depth knowledge they had of him, and also their stance was that they weren’t signing him to help them win the FA Youth Cup, or be successful at under-21s level, but because one day they believed he could be a first-team player for Liverpool.
“Bobby knows about history, he’s really into his football and knows about the history of Liverpool Football Club and what it stands for. He’s also seen close family friends of ours like Terry McDermott since he’d been a young boy and understood what Liverpool means.”
Even with his commitments overseas as he served as managed of Sudan-based side Al-Merrikh, Lee was able to join in on a decisive call with leading figures of Liverpool’s Academy before Bobby was shown around Anfield and the AXA Training Centre as talks over a deal £1.5 million deal continued.
“It’s worked out terrific, he’s settled in so quickly,” adds Lee, reflecting on his son’s first years at Anfield. “Liverpool couldn’t have done any more for him. They got him in with a lovely family in the Merseyside area and now he’s got his place down there. It’s been a terrific move for Bobby, we’ve been delighted with how it’s gone. His progress has been even quicker than we imagined.
“A lot of people don’t believe me, but I never affected the outcome of which club Bobby was going to go to. It was Bobby’s decision, albeit forced on him due to various things to leave Newcastle, and then he decided that Liverpool was his club.
“At Newcastle, it just got to the stage where I was working away and getting feedback that Bobby was coming in from his training sessions at the club and didn’t have that beaming smile on his face. He didn’t seem to be enjoying his football.
“We discussed it and he decided it was his time to move on. So when he made that decision we had to support him as a family.
“Of course, I’m a Geordie, I’m back and white through and through and there aren’t many fathers and sons that have played for the club. As soon as he got into the academy at Newcastle, could that dream become a reality? But I wasn’t going to make that happen to the detriment of my son. If he was unhappy there, it’s his happiness that is most important to me. I just backed Bobby every step of the way.
“As his parent first and foremost, I backed him up 100%. Now, we speak on the phone every day about various things and I’ll advise him. I’ll tell him how I would go about things from a player’s point of view or a coaching point of view. I can give him different slants on how to approach different situations.”
Instrumental in Liverpool sealing a deal for the highly-rated teenager was Jurgen Klopp’s track record of offering opportunities to members of the Academy, with Trent Alexander-Arnold and Curtis Jones blazing the trail for Ben Doak, Stefan Bajcetic and Bobby to follow.
Just 12 months after his move to Anfield the youngster was successful in catching the eye of the Reds’ boss, who handed him his Premier League bow from the bench against Bournemouth last August, aged just 17.
“It was an incredible moment,” says Lee, recalling Clark’s debut. “I remember being there. It surpassed anything I achieved in my career to see that happen. I was so proud, I’m hoping that there’s more to come, I think there will be. First and foremost, it’s up to Bobby and it’s in his hands.”
Having won just one of his four visits to Anfield as a player during his time with Newcastle and Fulham, the 50-year-old added: “It’s completely different when it’s your boy who’s got the support of the Anfield crowd rather than having them against you. That is very difficult to start with because not only are you playing against top players but also a magnificent set of supporters.
“I had experienced that as an away player but now to see the support they’re giving my son, it’s surreal.”
And even while being in the unfamiliar surroundings of Liverpool’s home end as he took to the Main Stand to watch his son make his Premier League debut last summer, James Milner – turning out for the Reds that day – was one of a few faces he recognized from his 16-year stint in the professional game.
“I didn’t know about the stat [before the game], I heard about it on one of the radio stations afterward,” laughs Lee, discussing James’s Milner longevity in the English game by playing alongside Lee and Bobby 17 years apart. “It’s unique for a player to say they have played with a father and son in the Premier League, it just shows you the longevity of James.
“I already knew what James was about because I played with him at Newcastle when he was coming through and then when I retired in 2006 I became the reserve team manager and later a first-team coach. I knew people like James would be the perfect example for Bobby in terms of how to behave on and off the pitch, and how you become a player who started in the Premier League at 16 and is still playing 21 years later. He’s still delivering outstanding performances, his fitness levels, his dedication
“I remember every single day when I coached him he would come at the end of the session with a bag of balls and we would practice his short passing, long passing, corner kicks, free-kicks, fitness work, work with the ball. It was every single day. And that’s the bits that people don’t see.
“When I knew there were people like James around at Liverpool, I knew Bobby would have great mentors to look up to, great professionals to watch and learn from.”
And with the exits of Milner, Jordan Henderson, Fabinho, Naby Keita, and Alex Olxade-Chamberlain this summer, opportunities could emerge for Bobby this campaign as Liverpool looks to combat the grueling Thursday-Sunday scheduling of the Europa League.
Though with less than a week of the summer transfer window remaining, despite interest from sides in the English Football League, the 18-year-old’s short-term future on Merseyside is far from decided.
“They could follow the route they did with Harvey Elliott where they ask him to get experience in the men’s game for a year, but that decision hasn’t been made yet. I’m sure it will be in Bobby and Liverpool’s best interest whatever they decide to do,” says Lee.
“I don’t think they will want Bobby to be around the under-21s for too long, you know. He broke into that side as a 17-year-old and has been a regular all the way through. I don’t think they’ll want him to spend too much time at that level because he has to get used to playing first-team football, where there’s a real necessity to get results.
“The difference in terms of the first-team this year is the crazy number of games they face if they are to be successful in the Europa League and go on to win that, it’s a crazy number.
“I think a lot of teams who have played in the Europa League before have found it difficult to get a good rhythm between the Europa League and the Premier League.
“In the early rounds of the Carabao Cup, Jurgen has always been a manager willing to give chances to youngsters in that competition so there could still be an opportunity this season. And if he plays well, look what happened with Stefan Bajcetic. Stefan’s an example for everybody, he saw a little opening in the door and kicked the door open. Now he’s become a regular first-team player, thoroughly deserved. It’s all about taking those opportunities.”
In the meantime, though, all of the Clarks’ attention will turn to St James’ Park this Sunday afternoon where Bobby will be looking to crown a remarkable first two years at Anfield.
“Certainly, if Bobby’s involved, I’d love to see him get on the pitch. It would be a nice way for him to open his goal-scoring account for Liverpool…I’d take a 1-1 with Bobby scoring the equalizer,” laughs Lee. “I once scored the winner against Newcastle for Fulham, down in London, and my father was in the Newcastle away end and I think I got a fair bit of grief off him!”
