Steve Clarke has admitted the lure of working for Kenny Dalglish and Liverpool Football Club was an opportunity he couldn't turn down.

In an exclusive interview with the club website, our new first-team coach talks about his hopes for the rest of the season, how much he's looking forward to a Merseyside derby debut and why Joe Cole will prove the doubters wrong at Anfield.

Steve welcome to Liverpool Football Club, how honoured are you to be here?
It's an absolute privilege to be here and working for this football club. Liverpool is one of the biggest clubs in the world and when they come and ask you to work for them you don't say no. You also get here as quickly as you can, which is what I did!

When did you first find out about Liverpool's interest?
I first spoke to Kenny on Sunday after the FA Cup tie against Manchester United. He gave me a call and asked me would I be interested in joining his coaching team. It was a very easy answer. Since the summer I have been sitting in the house and not working. I've enjoyed my time out of the game and had a good relaxing time with my family and my wife. It was time to get back in and when Kenny asked if I was interested I came straight up here.

You are contracted to stay until the end of the season - do you hope it could extend beyond that?
I always say be careful not to get ahead of yourself. The contract is until the end of the season and hopefully short term we can do the job that has been asked of us, and then when we get to the end of the season then is the time to sit down and discuss the future.

Is Liverpool a club you've always had a huge admiration for?
The club speaks for itself. The amount of trophies that Liverpool Football Club has won is fantastic and it is one of the biggest clubs in the world. For me it's a personal honour to be working for this club.

How much respect do you have for Kenny Dalglish?
Massive. Kenny was a big player in Scotland when I was growing up when he played for Celtic and then when he moved up to Liverpool he became a legend here. He won numerous caps for Scotland as well so when I was growing up Kenny was a Scottish football icon so to have the opportunity to work beside him is great.

Was he a hero of yours as a young boy growing up in Scotland?
Kenny was certainly someone you looked at and be inspired at what he achieved but I was never one for heroes as a young boy. I just followed my own path and hoped that one day I would be good enough in the future, but certainly Kenny as a football man is up there with the greats.

How much are you looking forward to working with Kenny and Sammy Lee to try and improve Liverpool's fortunes?
For me it's a great opportunity to get the football boots back on, to get the notepad back out and hopefully put some good training drills on and get the team moving in the right direction which is what everyone wants. Kenny wants that, Sammy wants that and I want that. Our supporters want it and everybody wants this football club to be back on the right track moving forward and that is what we are going to do.

What qualities can you bring to Liverpool?

I have got good experience having worked with a lot of top coaches and now I hope to add to that with Kenny. I think my best qualities are my organisational skills and hopefully I can put in good practices that will allow the lads to develop individually and more importantly for the short term to develop as a team and become stronger.

Of course you were on the bench alongside Jose Mourinho for the two Champions League semi-finals at Anfield - how impressed were you with the atmosphere on the Kop - especially the first tie in 2005?

That's why a club like Liverpool is special because you come here as an opponent and you understand from the outside how much this club means to the people of Liverpool and how much passion people have for Liverpool Football Club. So when you've tasted that passion as an opponent it's only natural you want to come here as a friend and feel the same intensity and atmosphere. If we can get a night like that again while we are here that will be great. Hopefully we will get it in the big derby at the weekend.

Obviously it was a disappointing night at Blackpool on Wednesday - what did you make of the performance?

Ultimately the result was disappointing but I think there were some good signs. Certainly the way we started the game very lively and very sharp, and but for a little bit of misfortune we could have been going through one on one for a second goal and instead we lost possession, got caught on the counter attack and conceded a goal. You could see when it went 1-1 the confidence of the players was a bit low and it took them a little bit of time to recover from that and they didn't quite get back to the same level we started with. But we can work on that and even in the second half we had some good opportunities but we didn't make the most of them. If we can do that then we will certainly be back on the right track to get where we should be in the league.

From what you've seen on the training ground so far are the players desperate to get back on the pitch for the derby and put things right?

Since we came to the club the work on the training ground has been fantastic. The lads have responded well. They were disappointed to lose against Blackpool as you would expect but we had a very good positive response on the training pitch on Friday and hopefully when we kick-off on Sunday we will be flying.

You've played in London derbies with Chelsea but how much are you looking forward to the Merseyside derby?

I am really looking forward to it. Local derbies are great and you feel the passion in these games. I have never been to a Merseyside derby, even as a spectactor, so for me with it being the first home game as well it's extra special, but the only thing that will make it extra special is if we win the game.

There's going to be a fantastic atmosphere at Anfield on Sunday with it being Kenny's first home game as manager for a second time - how much can that inspire the players?

Bring it on and we can't wait for the game. The players are going to give it everything to get the victory. We understand what it means to the Liverpool supporters and it means the same to us as well.

Coming to Anfield has seen you reunited with Joe Cole again. He has been very unfortunate with injuries so how big a player could he be for Liverpool once he gets an injury free run?

I know Joe very well and know what he is capable of. Joe in particular has had a stop-start Liverpool career as he's had a few injuries and it hasn't quite gone for him but I know the qualities Joe has got. I know what he can bring to this club and hopefully in the next couple of weeks you will start to see that coming through.





I like the honesty of the man and the fact he is an outsider coming into the club, an astute coach who is probably the best number 2 in the country at the moment, a fresh start with fresh ideas to help lift the players and club.

Yep very shrewd move by the King

great interview... says the right things all through.

kenny's done good in getting him. now if only he can get rid of sammy lee...

Steve Clark has been brought in until the end of the season, why? why not take him on full time? I have just heard Jose Mourinho is having huge differences with the Real Madrid board and could leave, obviously paper talk, but has Fenway heard he would come here and are laying the way for him by bringing in Clark and if he doesn't come he is only here until the end of the season.

I think he's only here until the end of the season because Kenny is only here until then. I wouldn't read any more into it personally. No point giving Clarke a 4 year contract when Kenny only has until May in charge is there?

Mourinho will not come here, there is no way FSG will pay his 14m euro's a year, probably 18m now though. Personally I'd hate to see him in our dugout.