STEVE CLARKE insists he is committed to plotting Reading FC’s return to the Premier League after snubbing an opportunity to take on the vacant manager’s role at Fulham.
The 52-year-old Royals boss held talks with Craven Cottage officials earlier in the week, but decided against a switch to the club’s Championship rivals because he is keen to continue his work at Madejski Stadium.
A compensation package for Clarke was agreed between the two club’s and conversations about the Scotsman potentially replacing Kit Symons, who was axed by the Cottagers earlier this month, took place.
However, the former Chelsea star has now said no to the chance of returning to west London, telling those present at a press conference this morning how he believes he has made the right decision.
He said: “I am a professional, and when someone’s prepared to pay a substantial amount of money (in compensation) to speak to me about a possible job, then it is something as a professional I have got to look at.
“It wasn’t about money, it was about professionalism and ambition.
“It was the club who game me the go ahead to speak to Fulham. I went and had a good conversation with them and decided what I had here was better for me, at this stage.
“I didn’t want to be in a situation where I was always thinking what if I go there and they came up with something that mind blowing, but that wasn’t the case.
“What I have probably got here is probably more mind blowing, and I’m happier with what I have got here at Reading.
“We started a project when I came in here last December.
“I’ve done a lot of hard work here with the club with great support from the owners and the board and they allowed me to reshape the club over the summer, and I brought in a lot of my own staff and bought in a few players and when I sat down and weighed up the options in front of me, this was the best option by a mile to continue what I was doing here.”
Clarke is now focused on trying to end a winless run which has stretched across five league games.
Yet he can also expect a battle to win over a number of supporters angry at his decision to entertain the advances of a rival club, even if the matter did come to a somewhat pleasing conclusion.
While sympathetic with those unhappy at his choice to talk with Fulham, Clarke is now urging fans to unite behind the team when they take on struggling Bolton Wanderers at Madejski Stadium on Saturday (3pm).
“Obviously you want to be liked,” he added.
“The supporters are the most loyal people at any football club because they go week in, week out.
“They probably looked at it and thought, ‘why is he going to talk to Fulham?’ I’ve explained why, it was a professional decision.
“I’ve had a lot of good support from the supporters as well, saying please stay, they want me to stay. Since I made the decision to stay they are happy I am staying, so I can understand the ones who are really angry, and they were really angry because I was going to leave.
“Hopefully among that anger they can realise I made a decision to stay here and work with the club and try and get the club to the Premier League, which is what everybody wants.
“Everybody wants to get Reading to the Premier League, so we all have to stick together, go forward and start winning matches.”
Despite admitting some people were disappointed at his wish to speak with another club, Clarke went on to say he still has the support of the Reading board.
Since replacing Nigel Adkins back in December 2014, the former West Brom boss has been give free reign by the Thai owners to overhaul Royals both on and off the field, bringing in his own backroom staff and 11 new players over the summer.
And because of this, Clarke feels it is his duty to steer the club back to the top flight.
“I owe them promotion to the Premier League,” he said.
“The fact that I am here is to try and get them into the Premier League. This is what we all want, it is what the supporters want, is what the board want, it is what my staff and players want and I want.
“For me, it was to speak with (Fulham) to clear my mind, make sure I wasn’t missing something fantastic and it wasn’t, and what I have got here is better.
“It was a professional proposition and the end product is that having spoken to another club, I’m here.
“I’m more than happy to be here and to try and get this club back to where they want to be.”
[poll id=”2″]
