Sunderland loanee Jack Clarke has thanked Marcelo Bielsa for handing him his chance in professional football following his dismissal at Leeds United.
Clarke was handed his debut for the Whites by Bielsa at the age of just 17 as he came on as a substitute in a 1-1 Championship draw with Brentford.
Bielsa went on to hand Clarke several opportunities as he went on to make 25 appearances for Leeds in his maiden season in senior football.
The 21-year-old established himself as one of the most promising young talents in English football while at Leeds and his first goal for the club, in a 3-2 victory over Aston Villa, was a clear indicator in that.
Clarke received his first start for Leeds in January 2019 in front of the Sky Sports cameras, where he produced a man of the match performance in an emphatic 2-0 win over Derby County.
Posting to his official Twitter account, Clarke was one of several former Leeds players to thank Bielsa for what he had done for them.
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He said: “This man gave me my opportunity in football and too [sic] play for a club @LUFC that has and always will be close to mine and my family’s hearts. [That is] something that I will always be grateful for. Thank-you Marcelo for the opportunity and belief you had in me and many others.”
After just one season at Leeds, Clarke was sold to Tottenham Hotspur for a fee in the region of £10 million.
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However, he has so far struggled to make an impact in North London and is now in his fourth loan spell away from the club at the Black Cats.
Clarke has shown some promising signs so far in the North East, but as of yet has not established himself as a regular in Alex Neil’s starting XI.
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