As Newcastle United supporters watched Liverpool win the 2024 Carabao Cup, there was a sense of ‘what if’.
First and foremost, Newcastle United could have been in the final. One moment of lunacy cost them against Chelsea in the quarterfinals, only for the Blues to waste an incredible opportunity to capture the trophy.
Jurgen Klopp had several key players missing due to injuries, and he finished the game with a bunch of kids. However, Liverpool’s young players contributed to the victory, with captain Virgil van Dijk scoring the winning goal in extra time.
Bobby Clark, one of the Liverpool kids, left Newcastle United in 2021. He is the son of former Newcastle United footballer Lee Clark, who ended his Magpies career soon before the Saudi-backed takeover was completed.
At the age of 19, he has appeared in several Premier League games and was trusted in a League Cup final as well. He played a key part at Wembley, winning the corner from which Van Dijk scored the winning goal.
Liverpool fans will be ecstatic about Clark’s potential, while Newcastle fans will be disappointed that such a great player slipped through our net.
But, why did he leave St James’ Park in the first place? His father revealed why late last year.
Why Bobby Clark left Newcastle and signed for Liverpool
Lee Clark spoke with the Liverpool Echo in December 2023, explaining why Bobby opted to quit the Newcastle United academy.
“A lot of people don’t believe me but I never affected the outcome of which club Bobby was going to go to,” he was quoted as saying.
“It was Bobby’s decision, albeit forced upon him owing to a variety of factors, to leave Newcastle, and he later concluded that Liverpool was his club.
“At Newcastle, it just got to the point where I was working away and getting feedback that Bobby was coming in from his training sessions at the club without that shining smile on his face. He did not appear to be enjoying his football.
“We discussed it, and he thought it was time to go on. So, when he made that decision, we had to rally around him as a family.
“Of course, I am a Geordie. I am black and white through and through, and there aren’t many dads and sons who have played for the club. Could his ambition come true after he joined Newcastle’s academy? But I was not going to let that happen at the expense of my son. If he was miserable there, his happiness is what matters most to me. I simply supported Bobby every step of the way.
“As his parent, I fully supported him. Now, we speak on the phone every day about various topics, and I advise him. I’ll tell him how I would approach things as a player or coach. I can teach him different perspectives on how to handle various circumstances.”
Bobby Clark is one that got away for Newcastle United
rClark is unquestionably one who got away. He was unhappy on Tyneside, but that has suddenly changed. He has found contentment elsewhere and can look forward to a great future as a Liverpool player.
But it’s a real shame he’s not still a Magpie. The club has changed dramatically since Clark’s departure, with major investment in the academy and youngsters given a clear path to the first team.
