---
title: "Celtic: Frank McAvennie backs Steve Clarke to take Hoops role"
canonical: "https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/celtic-frank-mcavennie-backs-steve-clarke-to-take-hoops-role/"
type: "post"
language: "en-GB"
author: "Nathan Linley"
section: "Celtic News"
published: "2021-02-26T15:30:33Z"
modified: "2021-02-26T15:30:33Z"
---

# Celtic: Frank McAvennie backs Steve Clarke to take Hoops role

**Former Celtic icon Frank McAvennie believes that Steve Clarke is the right man to take over as the club’s new manager.**

### Clarke encouraged

The Scotland head coach recently guided the country to their first major tournament since 1998 after their dramatic play-off victory against Serbia to send the Tartan Army to Euro 2020 (via [BBC Sport](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/54853402)) and was [described](https://talksport.com/football/788841/serbia-scotland-euro-2020-alex-mcleish/) as “fantastic” by his predecessor Alex McLeish for the achievement.

With this in mind, there is a void to fill over at Parkhead after Neil Lennon [offered his resignation](https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11787/12143403/neil-lennon-resigns-as-celtic-manager-with-club-18-points-behind-rangers-in-scottish-premiership) on Wednesday morning, with John Kennedy taking over until the end of the current disastrous campaign.

\[freshpress-quiz id=”338175″\]

Sky Sports journalist [Jim White](https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/celtic-news/celtic-sky-sports-journalist-names-surprise-contender-to-replace-neil-lennon/) said that Clarke was one of three names in the frame for the Celtic job, including Rafael Benitez and Belgium boss Roberto Martinez.

Speaking to [Football Insider](https://www.footballinsider247.com/mcavennie-backs-his-pal-clarke-to-take-celtic-job-hes-one-of-the-best-in-the-world/), McAvennie suggested that Clarke fits the role after spending time with him during his playing days.

“I played with Stevie Clarke at St Mirren – he’s a very good manager,” he said.

“He is one of the best coaches in the world, I keep telling people. He has coached under Mourinho, Dalglish – some of the best. “He would bring in his own players and they would need to let him buy players. I think he’d take it, too.

“One thing Stevie would do is sort the defence out. I think those at the club right now will be gone though because I don’t think any of them can defend – none of them. A lot of things have gone wrong but one thing Stevie Clarke would sort out would be that defence.”

### Transfer Tavern Verdict

McAvennie raises a good point. Clarke has a strong CV in terms of some of the managers he has worked for during his time as an assistant, particularly at Liverpool and Chelsea.

That said, Celtic need a winner and he only managed to accumulate a point-per-game average of 1.77 at Kilmarnock ([Transfermarkt](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/steve-clarke/profil/trainer/2638)).

This may seem unfair on Clarke, but Celtic need to regain the Scottish Premiership title at the first time of asking. Unfortunately, he may not offer such guarantees.

*In other news, **[Alan Hutton makes interesting call regarding unpopular Celtic player.](https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/celtic-news/celtic-alan-hutton-predicts-second-chance-for-vasilis-barkas/)***