Michael Beale reacts to Jack Clarke agent

WIN-WIN

“So I’m in a win-win, the boy has to play well. He’s playing well, he loves playing for our club and we do a lot to allow Jack to be Jack in terms of our style and the allowances we make for him defensively so that he can be a matchwinner. He’s been absolutely superb and any outside noise is nothing new, he’s had it since he was 17 really. He’s still young but he’s got a lot of experience, he’s had the big move and a couple of loans where it hasn’t gone so well. He’s found a home in football so I’d say he’s very content. Nothing can happen between now and the summer, and I’m sure the noise will get louder.”

“There was a couple of bids that come in from Lazio, Sunderland didn’t feel like wanted to sell the player in the January window. The player has just obviously got to focus on what he’s doing at the moment, which is [playing] fantastically well, scoring goals, getting assists. But hopefully this summer we’ll probably see Jack moving. Where it may be, we don’t know just yet, but he’s in good place. Sunderland, it’s a good footballing team. It’s a young group of players with a new manager and yeah, it’s exciting to watch. I think it’s going to be difficult to try and get into the playoffs but we’ll have to wait and see what they can do.”

“Last summer Burnley came in and bid to Sunderland to try and take Jack. Sunderland didn’t feel the valuation was high enough and they turned it down. So, yeah, I think to players, obviously, being an ex player like myself, you just got to go out and focus on what you’re getting paid to do, go out and perform for the team, which Jack has done. He’s got 14 goals this season, four assists. It’s flattering when big Italian teams are coming in and looking at a player like Jack, but the bread and butter is you’ve got to go out and do it week and week out at Sunderland and hopefully he’ll continue to do that.”