NOW GIVE-AWAY RAY IS IN WORLD CUP CLASS
THE day had a tinge of irony that
Ray Clarke wasn't slow to
appreciate.
It was the afternoon a pair of Argentinians were
being introduces to the English public. The same
afternoon that Ajax, giants of European football,
reported in Amsterdam for the start of a new sea
son
Clarke, 25, the shooting star Tottenham turnes
away, was signing his own share of autographs.
Attracting a similar sort of attention.
Ajax paid Sparta Rotterdam 225,000 for the
striker Tottenham sold to Swindon for a give
away 6, 000 as a 20-year-old.
From Ajax this season he can collect 50,000.
He is already 28.000 richer from his signing-
on fee.
HOUSE
The Cockney lad who went to Sparta from
Mansfield two years ago has bought a
65,000 house in Holland - and still has one
standing in four acres near Ipswich.
As we talked after a day's training that made
four of his new team-mates physically sick
from the effort, Clarke said:
"The Dutch have made me realise what the
game is all about. So much thought goes into
the training here. So much attention is given
to the planning.
What Sparta got when they paid Mansfield
80,000 for Clarke was an English-style cen
tre forward who had scored 58 goals in two
seasons.
Cor Brom was coach during Clarke's time at
Sparta - and it is significant that he moved to
Ajax shortly before the Hackney-born hot-shot.
Brom says: "If Clarke had been Dutch he would
have played in the World Cup final. That's
how good he is now.
"When Ray came to Sparta, he was a typical
English striker good in the air, strong
Story: Harry miller
around the 18-yard box. But he had no move
ment.
"Ray still gets goals. He also does much more.
He is excellent at coming back and making
space for players coming through from behind.
"When the opposing sweeper goes forward, Ray
knows he has to stop him. He also switches to
the flanks.
"He thinks more about his game now. Because i
his technique is so much better, we play balls
to his feet as well as his head."
Clarke, like all Dutch players, earns his mo- i
ney. Three weeks before reporting back, the I
Ajax men were under written orders to prepare
at home for the gruelling schedule to come.
On July 30 they will move to a special train-
ing camp for a week where every day will
start with an hour's run at 7.45 a.m. In that
week Ajax will play five public matches.
English players take note.
It has come off for Clarke because he has worked
hard at integrating off the pitch as well as on it. I
"My wife Cindy and I have made a genuine
effort with the language, he said.
"I wasn't that happy here in the early days. I
But I've learned to adapt. For the sort of money
I can earn in Holland it's worth it.
"If an English club like Liverpool came in, I'd
obviously be interested. Failing that, I can't
see any reason for not seeing out my three-
year contract.
English fans will have a chance to see just how
far Clarke has advanced when Ajax play
Southampton and Birmingham next month.
They are fixtures that just might interest
England manager Ron Greenwood.
12
The man who went Dutch
