Newcastle United could have signed Bobby Clark for just £10million last summer when Liverpool agreed to allow him to pursue the chance to play abroad with RB Salzburg.
Still just 20, the Reds swooped for Clark in 2021 in one of the last acts of the ill-fated Mike Ashley era, and the promising England Under-20 was sold for £1.5m. With a Carabao Cup winners medal in the bag with Liverpool, Clark is now chasing an Austrian Bundesliga title with RB Salzburg and will then have eyes on the FIFA World Club Cup in the United States.
The competition, which will see Clark and Salzburg take on Real Madrid in the group stages, may not feel relevant now. But in a summer that unfolds in between international tournaments, the World Club Cup will capture hearts and minds around the world – and for some, it will be the chance to catch the eye.
His dad, former Newcastle star Lee Clark, will be there from Cinncinati to Washington DC to Philadelphia after watching the conclusion of the Austrian league season. With scores of fans keen for updates on Newcastle Academy product Clark junior, Lee told Chronicle Live: “Bobby is enjoying life in Austria. He had a good run in the Champions League, from the eight games he started four, came on sub in two.
“Unfortunately, he missed out on the Real Madrid game as it was just after the winter break, and he’d had an illness, so he only had two days training. He didn’t get any time on the pitch at the Bernabéu and was only an unused sub.
“This has still been an unbelievable experience for him, moving abroad and to a high profile club. Red Bull is an unbelievable organisation. Salzburg are trying to win the league which is always their aim, if not to get into Champions League again.
“It has been hard, the manager he went and signed for in Pepijn Lijnders lost his job so it was the first time Bobby experienced that. In a short space of time as a young professional, he has experienced a lot of ups and downs. It has been a terrific move for him, both for learning and exposure he’s had.”
And exposure will be the key word when RB Salzburg go in for glory with the likes of Man City, Chelsea, Real Madrid, Borussia Dortmund, Inter Milan, River Plate and Boca Juniors, to name just a few of the big guns.
Clark said: “Bobby has the FIFA Club World Cup to look forward to in June and July. They have Real Madrid again in their group. Pachuca from Mexico and Al-Ahly from Saudi Arabia, Neymar’s old club. It will be a brilliant experience. This gives him more and more opportunities and more exposure for the future.”
Clark was linked with a host of clubs in January as clubs sensed the possibility of luring him away from Austria. At one stage, Glasgow Rangers seemed to be a destination, but a deal fell through. It’s understood that Eddie Howe has always liked Clark, while Amanda Staveley as director looked into bringing him back to St James’ Park.
When asked if he could end up back on English shores, Clark senior said: “Who knows? There was lots of speculation in January. I think there were a lot of offers put to Red Bull from various British clubs. But I don’t think the deal was right for all the parties so it didn’t happen.
“We’ll see what goes on. He went to RB Salzburg because he had a lot of respect for Pep Lijnders who was Jurgen Klopp’s assistant when he left Liverpool. He lost his job and it can change the dynamics. But he has a long-term contract at Red Bull and we will see what happens next.
“I would imagine at some time in his career there will be opportunities to come back to the UK. And he’d probably like to do that. I have not sat down and spoken with him on that, but it could be a possibility.”
Clark also reflected on Bobby’s appearance in last year’s Carabao Cup final at Wembley when Liverpool beat Chelsea. The former Fulham and Newcastle ace said: “It was a roller-coaster. But the pride at the end when he became a winner and won his first major honour at such an early part of his career.
“It was immense, and the pride was phenomenal. Nothing in my own sporting career toppled that, it was just an unbelievable feeling,” he added. “It was different being there as a parent to see your son making a big contribution to a major club to win a major trophy.”
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