'Ultimate wish' - Liverpool youngster's father wants him to become legend at Premier League rivals

Bobby Clark's father wants to eventually see him move to Newcastle United to follow in his footsteps despite his breakthrough at Liverpool.

Clark, 19, has now featured 13 times for the senior team since breaking into the first-team set-up. Jurgen Klopp has entrusted him with minutes in midfield and he has repaid such faith, managing an impressive goal and assist last night in the Europa League against Sparta Praha. He was also impressive off the bench in the EFL Cup final win over Chelsea and he started in the 1-0 win over Nottingham Forest in the league, which was his first Premier League start on March 2.

He joins an exciting crop of young midfielders that include Harvey Elliott, James McConnell and Stefan Bajcetic - all of whom are 20 or younger. It's unclear what the near future will hold as a new manager will arrive in the summer. However, he has displayed a capability and resolve across his game time this season to suggest he belongs with the first-team, but his father sees his future away from Anfield.

Speaking on the podcast No Tippy Tappy Football, Clark's father, former Newcastle player Lee Clark, expressed his desire to see his son go and be a legend at the North East club and to follow in his footsteps. Clark said: “My ultimate wish would absolutely be to see Bobby playing for Newcastle. I don’t know how many father and son combinations have both appeared for the club. I was lucky enough to play for them 265 times and, who knows, he might have to do an Alan Shearer and come back! That would be my dream.”

He was joined on the podcast by host Sam Allardyce, who suggested that Liverpool’s current crop of academy players breaking into the first team are “starting to look a bit like the Class Of ’92”, because of the number of players that are coming through. “Jurgen Klopp leaving Liverpool is a sad thing,” said Allardyce.

“The new coach is going to be younger, less experienced and whether he will have the same nerve as Jurgen to give the academy lads a chance remains to be seen. When he watches them train, he might think they’re good enough, but there could be a spell with the new manager where he doesn’t give the youngsters the opportunity to thrive in the first team. Jurgen has the confidence to play the academy lads and it is starting to look a bit like the Class Of ’92, because there are so many of them!”