The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Former Dundee United defender named among world’s best 100 players
Manager of surprise leaders is delighted to have brought pride back to area
Kilmarnock manager Steve Clarke claims restoring pride among the fans and the Ayrshire town is more rewarding than topping the league.
Clarke is happy for supporters to have “crazy” dreams as his side prepare to travel to face Celtic today at the summit of the Ladbrokes Premiership following a midweek win over Livingston.
However, the former Chelsea defender will focus on ensuring his players continue to meet the high standards they have consistently achieved since he arrived at the club 14 months ago – they have collected three more points in 2018 than the champions.
Saltcoats-born Clarke has a long affinity with the club, with his elder brother Paul a member of the hall of fame following his lengthy service on the pitch.
And he was determined to do his bit for Killie when he returned to Ayrshire after 30 years in England.
“The most important thing for Kilmarnock as a football club and probably as a town as well, is we have given a little bit of pride back to the area,” the 55-year-old said.
“The club is in a better place now than it was 14 months ago. That’s the most important thing.
“The rest of the chat about top of the league, great runs and great calendar years, is really quite irrelevant. It’s the fact that supporters look forward to come and watch the team, that’s the important thing.
“Obviously, I know a lot of people in the area who are happy just now. There’s many Kilmarnock fans who are, not living the dream, but dreaming about the possibility that we can do great things.
“They’re allowed to do that, they are supporters. We have to allow them to dream, we have to allow them to think about crazy things.
“We have to keep our feet on the ground. Difficult game (Saturday) and all I look for is we meet our own high standards. And if we do that, you never know.”
Clarke, whose team are unbeaten in four games against Celtic, added: “It’s always good going to the big stadiums, playing against the big teams and trying to prove that we can be competitive with them.
“The only ask I put on my players is to play as well as they can play. If they do that and it’s good enough to get a positive result, then great.”
Brendan Rodgers, meanwhile, claims Leicester have provided the encouragement for unlikely success as he prepares Celtic to meet the surprise leaders.
The East Midlands club stunned the football world in 2016 when they won the English Premier League having started the season as 5,000-1 outsiders.
The Ayrshire club are one point ahead of Rangers with Celtic behind the Ibrox side on goals scored, albeit with two games in hand over the league leaders.
Asked if a club like Kilmarnock – who beat Celtic 2-1 at Rugby Park in September, could win the title, the Hoops boss said: “They will feel that, why not?
“I think what Leicester have done to probably every team that aren’t a so-called big club is that they have made the impossible possible.
“It is still very early, we have played 14 games and when there are 10 games to go we will see.
“They deserve all the credit they get and the biggest credit you can give them is that it’s not by accident.”