Clarke looks forward to catching up with Celtic boss – and making life difficult for him
Kilmarnock boss Steve Clarke is looking forward to a trip down memory lane when he takes on Brendan Rodgers’ Celtic side today.
Rodgers joined the Chelsea youth system in 2004 after Clarke had stepped up to become Jose Mourinho’s assistant at Stamford Bridge.
Both men’s paths have crossed over the years down south but Celtic Park will be their next rendezvous in the Premiership after Clarke took over at Killie last week.
The former Chelsea and Scotland defender said: “We go back to the youth team days at Chelsea, when we first came across each other. He has had a great career and it will be nice to catch up with him and hopefully we can have five minutes to have a chat about the old times. He was a young, ambitious, well-organised coach. His principles and methods were clear at that time and when you have those qualities it is maybe no surprise he has gone on to have a good career.”
Clarke has to come up with a way to stop Celtic equalling their own 100-year-old British record of 62 domestic games unbeaten. That record ended with a 2-0 home defeat to Kilmarnock on 21 April, 1917, but Clarke treated the subject with humour. He said: “All the Kil- marnock players who played all those years ago are unavailable so we’ll go with what we have got.
“History is probably great for you guys in the media but it is not really relevant to us. Celtic’s record over the last few years speaks for itself. They are probably on a different level to teams in Scotland. You have to be realistic about it.
“It is our job as coaches, managers, players of opposition teams to make it more difficult for Celtic.”