Chelsea youngster Jake Clarke-Slater has revealed that Sunderland manager Chris Coleman played a key role in his decision to link up with the Black Cats this month.
Coleman will be hoping that he can use the promise of the youngster who was part of the England Under-20’s squad that won the world cup during the summer in order to help his club avoid relegation this season.
This will also represent a good opportunity for the player to gain more experience and prove to the Chelsea hierarchy what he is capable of doing.
Clarke-Slater was reportedly on the wish list of Nottingham Forest under their former manager Mark Warburton who was sacked on New Year ’s Eve.
“As soon as he called me I couldn’t wait to come and my mind was pretty much made up,” said Clarke-Salter who faced Forest in the Blues’ 5-1 Carabao Cup win in September, his only senior appearance to date.
“One of the reasons I’ve come to the club is because the manager is great with young players, so I can’t wait to learn from him. I feel like I’m now ready for the next step up in my career.
“I had a little bit of a taster (at Bristol Rovers last season) and it was cut short through injury, so hopefully I can play a lot of games until the end of the season and we can do well.
“The fan base is massive here and there’s also the stature of the manager and the assistant manager, who were both centre backs, so I feel like I can learn a lot from them. I can’t wait to get started,”
