Former Leeds United winger and current Sunderland star Jack Clarke on 'ridiculously intense' Marcelo Bielsa

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Former Leeds United winger Jack Clarke has described his former head coach Marcelo Bielsa as “ridiculously intense”.

The 22-year-old, now of Championship side Sunderland, was given his professional debut at Leeds while Bielsa was in charge. He made 25 appearances in his breakthrough season before joining Tottenham Hotspur.

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He returned to Elland Road on loan but was given just one Championship outing during that spell. Over three years on from his last Leeds appearance, Clarke is now enjoying life in the second tier with the Black Cats and has been a regular fixture at the Stadium of Light.

In an interview with The Athletic, Clarke has reflected on his time at Leeds and admitted to sometimes being left extremely tired the day before a game. He said: “I’ve never met anybody within the game as intense. It was my debut season, so to speak, in professional football, so I just assumed it’s what it’s like when you get to this level. He was ridiculously intense, ridiculously detailed in everything he did, but obviously he brought success to the club, so you can’t question it.

The 22-year-old, now of Championship side Sunderland, was given his professional debut at Leeds while Bielsa was in charge. Image: George Wood/Getty ImagesThe 22-year-old, now of Championship side Sunderland, was given his professional debut at Leeds while Bielsa was in charge. Image: George Wood/Getty Images
The 22-year-old, now of Championship side Sunderland, was given his professional debut at Leeds while Bielsa was in charge. Image: George Wood/Getty Images

“There were no grey areas; it was black or white. If he wanted you to run in behind, you’d run in behind. If he wanted you to come and play in the pocket, you’d play in the pocket. It helps because you get that clarity of what the manager expects. I think he got the best out of what we had there.

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“The day prior to a game, if the opposition had played three different formations across a number of games, we’d work on all three to cover all bases. So when it came to the day, we knew what to expect. There’d be no grey area. Alex [Neil, ex-Sunderland boss] was similar in a way, he liked to cover all bases, just not to the extent you were dead on your feet the day before a game.

"Some days [in response to question about being left dead on feet]. You’d never show it because you wanted to play. But, physically, it was definitely demanding; mentally as well, because you’d get bamboozled with a lot of information.”

The Argentine is reportedly closing in on a return to management, with the Uruguay national team said to be interested in appointing him. Over a year has passed since he last took charge of Leeds and he is yet to take up a role elsewhere.

Clarke, now a teammate of Leeds prospect Joe Gelhardt, has helped Sunderland secure a place in the Championship play-offs and Luton Town now stand in the way of a trip to Wembley.