Newcastle defender Ciaran Clark says he owes manager Rafa Benitez a great deal for his good form in a Magpies shirt this season.
The centre back moved from Aston Villa in the summer, a club he had spent 16 years at, but at the age of 27 he says Benitez is teaching him things about defending he has never been told before. He is quoted by the Chronicle as saying:
“It has been a total change for me. He’s real man-manager and he wants you to get involved and learn. He wants to teach you and improve you as a player. If he does that then it improves the team. He works hard on defensive shape and positional stuff. It’s something I have probably not had as a player in my career. I feel like I am learning so much and hopefully I can keep doing it.”
Clark missed out on the PFA Championship Team of the Year with his centre back partner Jamaal Lascelles being included instead, but the Irish international’s absence from the side in recent weeks has taken its toll on Newcastle.
Since being sidelined with a knee injury that he sustained in the 3-1 defeat to Fulham back in late March, the Magpies’ form has been indifferent with two wins, two draws and two losses, and it has meant Newcastle fans are waiting anxiously for their side to clinch promotion back to the Premier League.
