STEVE CLARKE stared down sectarianism this week as Kilmarnock boss after saying enough is enough during his latest trip to Ibrox.
The manager was visibly shaken as he explained the vitriol coming his way from the stands and his willingness to speak out about it has brought up the debate of sectarianism in football again.
As the Kilmarnock boss, Clarke will not even have suffered the worst of it as many Celtic managers have had heading to Ibrox.
However, there was a point in time where Clarke was very open to taking the Celtic managers job as we managed to unearth quotes from back in 2016 when Ronny Deila was leaving Celtic at the end of the season.
Speaking to Sky Sports on the Sunday supplement, the now Killie boss was asked if he would be interested in the Celtic job and this was his response.
“There are a lot of good managers out of work and Celtic is a great club,” Clarke said.
“If they want to give me a call, it would be nice.”
Brendan Rodgers took over at Celtic shortly after but there was a real willingness from Clarke to look at the job.
Had the Scotsman become Celtic manager, the vitriol would have been on another level to what he’s currently experiencing.
Clarke also divulged this week that the Ibrox club tried to land him as the manager back in the summer but turned the opportunity down.
The Rugby Park boss has worked wonders for Kilmarnock on a very limited budget and continues to impress.
Is there an opportunity down the line for Clarke to come in as the Celtic manager or would he be reluctant in the current environment to take on the role?
Well I suppose if Stephen got the managers job. He would have to put up wae his car being vandalised with paintstripper when he was shopping. Or even the auld nutneg or live round in the Post. Or a parked bomb or two. Don’t remember that ever happening to the manager of any other Scottish team. I think he dodged a plastic builet or two. Tommy Burns was manager at Killie remember. And the Hun legions back then hated him too. So Stephen what’s new there.