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Former Baggies boss Steve Clarke opens up on bitter feeling towards West Brom

Manager Steve Clarke of Reading looks on during the Capital One Cup third round match between Reading and Everton at Madejski Stadium on September ...
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The Scotsman was sacked by West Bromwich Albion three years ago.

Steve Clarke manager of Reading during the Sky Bet Championship match between Reading and Leeds United at Madejski Stadium on August 16, 2015 in Reading, England.Steve Clarke

During an exclusive interview with BBC Sport, newly-appointed Kilmarnock boss Steve Clarke took a swipe at former club West Brom, suggesting that he deserves more credit for the role he performed at the Hawthorns.

The 54-year-old spent 18 months at the helm with the Baggies, guiding them to their best ever Premier League finish of eighth during the 2012/13 campaign, although he was relinquished of his duties midway through the following season.

Clarke has always garnered vast amounts of respect throughout his time in the game, as a player, coach and manager, but he has been out of work after not being kept on in a coaching capacity at Aston Villa following Steve Bruce’s appointment as manager in October 2016.

Steve Clarke manager of Reading looks on prior to the Sky Bet Championship match between Reading and AFC Bournemouth at Madejski Stadium on April 14, 2015 in Reading, England.Steve Clarke

And he sat down for an exclusive interview with BBC Sport, highlighting his frustrations at not being given more of an opportunity to prove his worth by the Black Country outfit:

“I feel like I’ve not really had the credit I deserve for the manager job I did at West Bromwich Albion. I took them to their highest ever finish in the Premier League which was quite good. The following season for reasons unbeknown to me they decided to make a quick change, which I didn’t think was fair.”

Reading manager Steve Clarke looks on during the Sky Bet Championship match between Millwall and Reading at The Den on January 27, 2015 in London, England.Steve Clarke

West Brom have now truly established themselves as a mid-table Premier League side, and the next step in their journey will be to continue their progression, and make their way towards the top seven in the table.

To do that, however, Tony Pulis will need consistent backing from the Baggies board – something that Steve Clarke never really got during his time in charge at the Hawthorns.