Father of outstanding Liverpool midfielder admits ‘ultimate dream’ is to sign for Prem rivals
Liverpool midfielder Bobby Clark is a boyood Newcastle supporter
Liverpool could find themselves with a future fight on their hands over the future of young midfield prospect Bobby Clark after the player’s father admitted he one day sees his boy turning out for one of their Premier League rivals in Newcastle United.
The 19-year-old academy prospect is enjoying an excellent breakthrough season at Anfield, having impressed during his 13 appearances so far. Incredibly, the teenager already has a winners’ medal to his name, having stepped off the bench for Liverpool as a 72nd-minute substitute in the Carabao Cup final win over Chelsea.
And having achieved something that many throughout their careers just don’t get to experience at all, Clark has taken his game up a level and used the confidence from that Wembley win to truly make a name for himself in what is the final months of the Jurgen Klopp era at Anfield.
As a result, Clark illustrated his burgeoning potential by scoring his first goal in Liverpool colours this week, scoring the second of their 6-1 thrashing of Sparta Prague in the Europa League.
Better was to come when just two minutes later he bagged his first assist, setting up Mo Salah for goal number 206 of his Reds career.
With injuries continuing to bite Liverpool hard of late, Clark will wait to see if he’s given the nod to start Sunday’s huge FA Cup quarter-final against Manchester United at Old Trafford in what would easily be the biggest test of his fledgling career to date.
However, he too faces a test after limping off against the Czech side at Anfield.
Clark joined Liverpool as a boyhood prospect from Newcastle back in 2021, with TEAMtalk covering the story at the time.
Bobby Clark could return to Newcastle from Liverpool
Just 15 at the time, Clark has certainly lived up that early hype when he quit Tyneside for Merseyside.
Despite making that move for the benefit of his career, Clark’s father – the former Newcastle, Fulham and Sunderland midfielder, Lee Clark – has admitted that a future return to St James’ Park could be on the cards for the boyood Magpies fan, comparing his potential return to the North-East to that of his own former Newcastle teammate, Alan Shearer.
Speaking on the Tippy Tappy Football podcast, he said: “Absolutely. I don’t know how many fathers and sons have done it for the club. I was lucky enough to do it 265 times. Who knows, he might have to do an Alan Shearer and come back.
“But yeah, that would be my ultimate dream. Definitely.”
Clark faces a late test on Sunday to see if he can be included in the matchday squad and Klopp certainly knows he has a special young talent on his hands after beaming over his performance on Thursday.
“He played incredibly,” Klopp said after the game. “It was his first goal but he won the ball back then and he was after another one.
“He is the one I am worried a bit about, as we wanted to take off Mo [Salah], but Bobby sits on the ground and says he feels something in the ankle. Hopefully it is nothing. The steps the boy made though, pfff [wow]!
“We’ve had such a difficult situation with all the injuries and then the boys stepped in and took their chances. So I’m very happy with that, they were exceptional again.”
Clark signed a new long-term deal with Liverpool last year and has also won two caps for England U19s.
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