HE’S MY NAUGHTY BOYD
Clarke persuaded striker to stay... now he can’t get enough of ‘entertainer’
THE potency of the partnership between Steve Clarke and Kris Boyd during Kilmarnock’s remarkable rise suggests the pair have always been a match made in heaven.
But Rugby Park’s miracleworking boss has revealed how his first day working with his new star striker threatened to be his last.
At the end of Clarke’s maiden training session, Boyd shocked him by knocking on his door and announcing his immediate retirement.
The former West Brom manager’s powers of persuasion convinced Boyd to stay. The alchemy between them then saw the veteran forward finish that season as top scorer in the Premiership.
Tomorrow, the striker who nearly got away will see his ten seasons in total at Rugby Park celebrated with a testimonial against his former club Rangers.
‘Since I’ve been Kilmarnock manager, Kris Boyd has been absolutely crucial for me,’ said Clarke. ‘But the first conversation we had was not a particularly good one.
‘It was after my very first training session. My first sessions at a new club are usually pretty good and enjoyable, so the guys think: “This guy is alright!”.
‘But Kris came in to see me still wearing all his gear. He plonked himself down in the chair in front of me and said: “That’s it, gaffer, I’m quitting!”.
‘I just said: “Kris, I’ve just walked in the door. You can’t quit”. I managed to persuade him to give me a few weeks and a few games to see if he enjoyed training and the way that I worked.
‘So that was how our relationship started but I’m happy at how it has panned out since...’
Clarke was always sure he could get goals out of Boyd despite his age and questions over his fitness.
During a year out of football after leaving his post as assistant manager at Aston Villa, Clarke had begun to reacquaint himself with Soccer Saturday on Sky Sports and one name kept recurring.
‘The things you notice when you are not working is who scores all the goals and I’d seen Kris Boyd’s name popping up regularly,’ he said.
‘I think Kris was probably worried that I’d be coming here to chuck him out because everybody looks at Kris and thinks: “He’s not fit enough, he can’t do this and he can’t do that”.
‘But I was only looking at what Kris Boyd can do.
‘Kris also probably felt a bit bad at the sacking of Lee McCulloch because Lee is his friend and maybe he didn’t see the team improving the way it has since I came in.
‘And it’s only natural when you get to your mid 30s you start thinking about finishing up.
‘But I knew if we could create chances for Kris Boyd he would score goals. And that’s exactly how it turned out.’
It hasn’t been all plain sailing with Boyd, however. Clarke admits the forward’s outspoken views in the media — the most recent being his claim that there was a split in the Celtic dressing room — have caused him strain.
But he did back the 35-year-old striker’s recent ‘fat belly’ goal celebration in front of Aberdeen fans.
‘Kris is a media pundit and he likes to wind people up,’ said Clarke. ‘He gives me a few more grey hairs at times and sometimes a few more hairs fall out.
‘But he’s a character and he says what he thinks and feels. And that’s not a bad thing. People like having a pop back at him but he is a man and he can handle it.
‘(The Aberdeen celebration) came at the end of a week with a lot of negative aspects around Scottish football.
‘But, for Kris, that was a bit of fun and a bit of banter. There’s no harm in that. The day you start taking football too seriously is a bad day. Football is an entertainment business and Kris is an entertainer.’
Clarke has also been impressed with the way Boyd has handled having less game time this season. But he doesn’t believe the veteran’s days are numbered, despite his current contract due to expire in May.
‘I can imagine Kris Boyd five years ago would not have been a happy bunny sitting on the bench,’ he said. ‘I can imagine him going to the manager and saying he should be playing but he has not done that for me. He has been very respectful.
‘He’s worked ever so hard in training — probably the hardest he’s ever worked. He’s started our last couple of games and he gives us a different physical presence up front.
‘Kris can make a big contribution for Kilmarnock again this season and if he does that then maybe there’s another season in it for him. As long as he keeps working as hard as he has been, there’s no reason why not.
‘Kris has done a lot for this club over the years and Saturday’s testimonial is a chance for the Kilmarnock fans to say thank you.
‘He’s going to donate all the money to charity, too, which tells you about Kris as a person. I hope he gets a good turnout because he deserves it.’
lSteve Clarke was speaking at a media event for the Kris Boyd Testimonial Game at Rugby Park on Saturday, November 17. Kick-off at 1pm with tickets priced between £5 and £10. Buy online at www.kilmarnockfc. co.uk or call 01563 545310.