Manchester United v Barnsley FC: Darrell Clarke looking for big-game players to reveal themselves

Clarke will be taking charge of Barnsley for only the 10th time in competitive football when he faces the team he supported as a boy in Tuesday's League Cup third round.

And whilst there will be changes with one eye on Saturday's League One game at Burton Albion, there will be plenty to learn too for a manager aiming to be in the promotion shake-up.

"I want to see who can show up on the big occasion," he said.

"You're looking at who can do that in front of, I'd imagine 60,000 or 70,000. I'm looking at who can take on the ball, carry out the gameplan, who doesn't freeze. You only really learn about them in competitive games.

"I've had success in play-offs and big players turn up in big games, that's a fact.

"What you do learn as a manager is who can handle those situations. A lot of players freeze and that's why they don't reach the levels their careers probably should. They get het up too early, they play the occasion not the game.

"The world's best players, it's like they're playing on the park.

"We've got some young players in our squad and they want to play at the highest level possible and reach the ceiling of where they're capable of playing.

"Go show me what you can do on a night at a special ground and see how you can perform.

"I want to be talking after the game about one or two really good individual performances that have really put the club on the map against a great team."

Clarke, whose uncle pushed him in the direction of Manchester United and whose early memories include watching the 1985 FA Cup final, wants to make the most of his first trip to Old Trafford as a player or manager, but there are limits.

"We want to be professional, we don't want the camera phones out and it to be a day out," he said. "It's a game to be competitive in and try and win.

"I think it's right that we all want to enjoy it as a football club but we want more special days as we go along.

"I'm a realist, we have to be 10 out of 10 on performances and they have to have an off-day. The gulf is massive.

"You're playing against world-class footballers. You've got to stand up to that and be brave with our without the ball."

Midfielder Adam Phillips, a Liverpool youth product and supporter of the Red Devils' biggest rivals, is looking forward to getting the full experience of one of English football's great club grounds for the first time.

"I played at Stamford Bridge for Morecambe in the FA Cup but during Covid so it wasn't exactly what it will be like on Tuesday," he said. "I played at Wembley and in play-off semi-finals but I think this will be up there as one of the biggest games.

"Always in the cups you look out for these kind of draws.

"I feel like I'm always up for any game but with a big crowd I'm sure the lads will be really up for it and hopefully we don't go into our shells. We'll take it all in and once kick-off comes we'll be ready to go."