Similar to what many envision for their lives after retirement, Scottish footballer Steve Clarke, who played for Chelsea FC, spent long hours sitting on the couch in his living room in Berkshire, enjoying watching football matches on TV and reacting to them loudly. After dedicating 35 years of his life as a player, coach, and sporting director, he believed that this was the best conclusion to his sports career, as he also had the chance to play with his grandchildren and engage in golfing and fishing. Clarke maintained this lifestyle for a long time until, in 2017, his wife felt bored with him being at home without work and spending time in front of the TV. She decided that her husband needed to leave the couch and find a job.
While Steve, who had played for Chelsea, believed he had secured his future by buying a house and living a stable life, his wife’s decision turned his life upside down, leading him to return to coaching. Eventually, he became the coach of the Scottish national team, guiding them to qualify for their first major tournament since participating in the 1998 World Cup, after advancing to the Euro 2020 finals scheduled for June.
The Scottish national team coach recounts the situation, saying, “I was thoroughly enjoying my time, spending it the way I liked, but my wife had a different opinion; she probably felt bored and frustrated with my presence, especially when I was watching matches. She thought I was too young to retire and that I should go back to work, and she managed to convince me."
Steve Clarke continues his story to the Daily Mail: “Initially, I was thinking about working in the American league, which was also my wife's idea, but my older brother called me and told me that Kilmarnock FC wanted to hire me. They had good players and aimed to achieve success. I decided to take the job, thinking that if I didn’t succeed, I would soon return to sitting on the couch.”
Things went as his wife wished, as Clarke succeeded in his first season by leading the team from the bottom of the Scottish league to fifth place. In his second season, they finished in third place with a historic points tally, which led the Scottish Football Association to contact him and offer him the coaching job, which he accepted. However, the start wasn't good as he lost 4 matches and won only 1.
Steve Clarke says, “People were asking me not to accept the job. In my opinion, it was a job that was hard to refuse. I am a person who has my own thinking; if people say don't take the job, then I think, why not take it?”
The tournament draw placed the Scottish national team alongside England, Croatia, and the Czech Republic. Among those urging him not to accept the job was his father. Clarke shares, “My father didn’t want me to accept the job due to the pressures that would lie on me, which could affect my future life, but he knew I was stubborn enough. For me, I am happy that we qualified for the finals.”
He adds, “My father turned 90; he has begun to suffer a bit from dementia, but I know he is very proud of me. He is physically healthy, and I am sure he will watch Scotland's matches in the Euro and critique all my decisions during the games.”
