Geordie youngster Bobby Clark has been handed a five-year professional deal at Liverpool by Jurgen Klopp. It was the former Borussia Dortmund manager who requested to have a face to face chat with the teenager last year when it became apparent that the Reds had moved into pole position to sign him from Newcastle.
The competition for Clark - the son of former Toon favourite Lee - was fierce with Bayern Munich, Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City all interested in his services. But Klopp told him what he needed to hear during those talks and that was that there would be a clear pathway to the first-team if he signed on the dotted line for the 2020 Premier League champions.
Liverpool's statement after the ink was dry on the 17-year-old's contract was more than upbeat as the Anfield club proclaimed: "An exciting forward who can also play in midfield, Clark joined the Reds from Newcastle United in August last year. Clark’s ability to beat opponents one-on-one is allied with a strong, competitive instinct that has also seen him feature in the club’s UEFA Youth League side and make his U23s debut."
