The former Bristol Rovers manager could have been Leeds United’s boss before Garry Monk.
Darrell Clarke has maintained he has no regrets about rejecting Leeds United.
Clarke was all set to take the Elland Road reins before Garry Monk’s appointment in 2016, but experienced a last-minute change of heart.
Discussing his decision with BBC Sport later that year, the then Bristol Rovers manager said he had “no hesitation in knowing that I’ve made the right move”.
But despite being sacked by Rovers earlier this season, there has been no change of tune from Clarke.
Recalling his talks with Leeds, the 41-year-old told the Not the Top 20 Podcast: “I met Massimo Cellino, he was a pleasant guy and I got on great with him for what must have been a three or four-hour conversation.
“He is what he is, what was it? Forty-three managers in 27 years? But I found him very pleasant and quite knowledgeable as well in football.
“It just came across that the two clubs agreed the compensation at the time and I was all set to be going, then I had the weekend at home.
“On the Friday, when the compensation had been agreed, I just thought it was a case of we were going to be building something at Bristol Rovers, I had a great rapport with the supporters and I’m a loyal person.
“I am a loyal person. There’s a lot of managers and coaches in the game who tell me I was crazy not to have taken it, and I get that point of view, but I have no regrets over not going.
“I certainly don’t. Leeds are a massively big club – will I ever get that opportunity again? Who knows. Will I regret that decision? The answer’s no to that because I wanted to show loyalty to a club who had shown loyalty to me.”
Although Cellino may have left Leeds 18 months ago, the Yorkshire club are on to their fourth permanent manager since Clarke’s snub.
But after mixed success with Monk, Thomas Christiansen and Paul Heckingbottom, the Whites finally appear to have got it right with Marcelo Bielsa.
Bristol Rovers have since appointed one of Clarke’s former coaches, Graham Coughlan, as permanent boss.
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