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Clarence Seedorf responds to Newcastle speculation

8 years ago
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Monday brought media claims in Italy that Newcastle United had already held secret meetings with Clarence Seedorf and that he was coming in to replace Steve McClaren.

A brilliant player in his time, Seedorf won the Champions League an astonishing four times, with three different clubs. Firstly Ajax, then Real Madrid and twice with AC Milan.

In his only managerial job to date, the 39 year old was appointed at his old (playing) club AC Milan in January 2014 after a poor start to the season under Massimiliano Allegri. However, despite winning 9 and drawing 2 of his 18 games in charge and stabilising the club to finish eighth in Serie A, Seedorf was sacked in June 2014.

Clarence Seedorf was put on ‘gardening leave’ for the remainder of his contract which runs up to summer 2016, with the Dutchman not taking another managerial/coaching job in the meantime.

He has been named as a potential replacement for Danny Blind as the Dutch national team boss but now following the reports linking him to the Newcastle job, Clarence Seedorf says that he would welcome the chance to experience English football as a Head Coach.

The former Netherlands international saying that ‘if there is a good project’ he would be happy to consider it and that it is a ‘nice feeling’ to be ‘linked with important clubs’.

This week has seen Steve McClaren maybe giving it one last go to get the players playing for him, the United boss admitting that he’d deliberately provoked them after the Leicester fiasco to try and get a response.

If performances continue as they have done against Bournemouth and Leicester, it is hard to see how McClaren can remain much longer as Newcastle Head Coach. Even if he isn’t sacked, it is difficult to see the former England boss willingly stick it out.

Clarence Seedorf speaking to BBC Sport:

“England and I have a particular story and I was close to going to play there many times.

“It never happened and so as a coach it would be great to experience English football and fans on a weekly basis.

“If there is a good project I would be happy to consider it.

“There are rumours about my next job but to be linked with important clubs is a nice feeling.

“I have been fortunate to work with many great coaches and also in different countries and I have taken a bit from all of them…Dutch, Spanish, Italian, Brazilian.

“I want a mix of all of that in my team; the good possession & organised football of the Dutch, with the attacking mentality of the Spanish.

“The Italians know how to defend in a very organised way – to play for the result, then there is the freedom to express the players’ talent that you have in Brazilian football.

“I saw it happen in a few matches when I was at Milan and now I would like to create it on a more consistent basis, attacking football but with a good organised defensive system.”

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