• 10 years ago
Steve Clarke Unveiled As West Bromwich Manager

Steve Clarke emerges from 'the trenches' as West Brom's manager

Steve Clarke has secured his first leading role of a coaching career spanning 14 years after being appointed head coach of West Bromwich Albion.

The 48-year-old, who officially left his position as assistant manager of Liverpool on Wednesday, signed a two-year contract at The Hawthorns on Friday morning having been chosen to succeed Roy Hodgson. Albion had also approached the former Schalke coach Ralf Rangnick and the new Norwich City manager Chris Hughton after Hodgson left for England but said Clarke's coaching pedigree swayed the decision in his favour.

Clarke has established a good reputation at Newcastle United, Chelsea, West Ham United and Liverpool since embarking on a coaching career in 1998. He said: "Becoming a head coach in my own right has always been an ambition of mine and I feel I have served my apprenticeship.

"I've done everything I could as an assistant. I'm absolutely delighted to be given this opportunity. I'm delighted West Brom have given me the chance to make that progression and I'm determined to make the most of it."

The Scot tendered his resignation at Liverpool when Kenny Dalglish, who made Clarke his first appointment when he returned as manager in January 2011, was sacked last month. That was rejected by Liverpool's owners, Fenway Sports Group, only for Brendan Rodgers to insist on appointing his own backroom team when he was installed at Anfield last week. Both Clarke and the first-team coach Kevin Keen departed on "amicable terms" according to the League Managers' Association.

Dalglish said: "Steve Clarke was a fantastic assistant boss to me at Liverpool. The players all respected him and enjoyed their training with him. It [Albion] would be the perfect place for him to start out as boss because of the stability of the club. In some ways, the job there is a head coaching position and it would allow him to continue wit