Tony Mowbray on the ‘miraculous’ transformation in Sunderland star Jack Clarke
Tony Mowbray says Jack Clarke has developed into an amazing footballer since he first saw him in action for Tottenham Hotspur
Tony Mowbray has hailed the ‘miraculous’ transformation in Jack Clarke since the first time he saw him in action two-and-a-half years ago. Mowbray was in charge of Blackburn Rovers and remembers seeing Clarke play for Tottenham Hotspur U23s against his young team, and in that game the winger made little impact.
But Clarke has come on leaps and bounds since then, and since his move to Sunderland last summer he has developed into one of the hottest properties in the Championship with the Black Cats turning down a £10m bid from Premier League new boys Burnley over the summer. Clarke scored twice – including one from the penalty spot – in last night’s 3-0 win against basement side Sheffield Wednesday at Hillsborough, which means he is currently the division’s seven-goal top scorer, after Dan Ballard had opened the scoring.
“I don’t want to say he’s flying, I need to keep his feet on the ground and keep him working hard! He’s an amazing footballer, he’s really positive, really confident at the moment.
“When I think back to being manager of Blackburn Rovers two-and-a-half years ago and Jack Clarke playing for Tottenham U23s and not getting a kick against our young team, something miraculous has happened to Jack and he is now playing with confidence and belief in himself. At times he is unplayable, you don’t know whether he is going down the outside or whether he is cutting inside to bend it in like he did for the first goal.
“He scored the penalty as well, but he was a constant threat and has been all season to every team.”
Sunderland’s win at Wednesday saw them climb to fourth in the table, at least until the other Championship fixtures are played over the weekend. The Black Cats are back in action on Wednesday, when Watford visit the Stadium of Light.
