West Brom boss Clarke interested in managing Chelsea one day despite Benitez abuse

West Brom boss Clarke interested in managing Chelsea one day

1 Mar 2013 18:45:00

The former Blues player and assistant manager thinks connections with him and the club are too early but insists the Spaniard’s torrid reign at Stamford Bridge has not put him off

West Brom boss Steve Clarke says the abuse Rafael Benitez has received from Chelsea fans has not put him off possibly returning to Stamford Bridge as manager one day.

The Scot played for the Blues between 1987-98 before joining the coaching staff and going on to be Jose Mourinho's No. 2 during the Portuguese's time in west London.


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And Clarke reckons Benitez, who embarked on a measured rant towards the Chelsea fans and Roman Abramovich after Wednesday’s win over Middlesbrough, knew what he was getting himself in for when he took over the reins from Roberto Di Matteo.

"Has he had a fair crack of it? If you are manager of a club like Chelsea you know what comes with the territory," Clarke told reporters.

"Has it [his treatment] been unfair? It’s not for me to judge. I work for West Bromwich Albion. It’s a Chelsea matter.

"I think it’s too early to start connecting me with Chelsea. There are a lot of managers that have probably got a better case than me.

"But if you’re asking if I want to be manager of a top team in the future, of course.

"If you don’t have that ambition to better yourself you shouldn’t be in the game. But it’s not for now.

"The connections are inevitable. I can’t do anything about that. Chelsea has been a big part of my life; I’ve spent more than 40 per cent of it connected with them."