SOMETIMES IT’S EASY to forget that Ciaran Clark is still only 23. Sometimes it’s easy to forget that he only has four Irish caps.
Tomorrow night in Stockholm, Clark will win his fifth if he’s named alongside John O’Shea in the heart of a defence tasked with shackling Zlatan Ibrahimovic and keeping the clean sheet that would guarantee a valuable point, if not more.
It won’t be a night for learning on the job — that time has passed — but this season Clark has already shown himself to be more mature and experienced than his date of birth or his cap count would suggest.
When he discusses life at Aston Villa, their struggles, and the need to build on their recent upturn in form, he instinctively paints himself as “one of the more experienced lads.” In the absence of Richard Dunne, he has taken on the mantle of defensive leader. It hasn’t always been flawless, as Clark will be the first to admit, but he’s hardly floundering.
Now Giovanni Trapattoni will hope that the youngster can carry over his club experience to the international stage. In the past, Trap fretted over Clark’s naivety and went so far as to have a quiet word in the defender’s ear about his tendency to pick up needless bookings in games .
The card count is down — Clark has only been booked twice in the league since Christmas, compared with four yellows and a red before — but that little improvement is as much a product of his own maturity as Trapattoni’s advice, he explains.
“It was when I was playing with Villa at left-back and centre-mid and I was picking up a few bookings. Over the seasons I’ve managed to keep that down a bit and I’ve only picked up a few yellow cards this season so obviously I’ve taken it on board.
“As a young lad you want to get in there and try to win the ball back. The years I’ve been playing, maybe I’ve cooled down a bit and realised when I need to make tackles and when I don’t. Hopefully that’s what I’ve learned and I’ll keep learning.”
He adds: “Each day in training and each game, I’m always trying to learn. Whether there’s mistakes made or you’ve had a good performance, you need to try to forget about it quickly and learn from it and move on and concentrate on the next game. I’m hoping it will stand me in good stead for the future and I’ll keep improving for the future.”
Like Richard
When it comes to advice Clark could hardly ask for a better defensive mentor and role model than Dunne. Ten years his senior, Dunne has been out of action since Euro 2012 and frustrated by relapses every time he seems to be on the verge of making a comeback.
But when he’s not togging out, that buzz of energy and commitment that Dunne embodies on the pitch has to shine through in some other way. It’s no surprise that he’s still a powerful presence around the club and Clark is only too willing to listen to what Villa’s elder statesman has to offer.
“He watches the games and if he’s got something to say, he’ll talk to you about the game and let you know what you can be doing. He’ll try and help you and that’s a good thing for me, learning from one of the best there.
“Hopefully he can get himself fit and get back in with the lads and hopefully he’ll come through his injury because I’m sure he’ll be a massive, massive boost to our squad and to the team with his experience.”
If he gets the nod, tomorrow night will be Clark’s first competitive start for Ireland and the beginning of five crucial days that will make or break the World Cup qualifying campaign. A clean sheet and first international goal in the friendly win against Poland last month should have done his confidence the world of good but there’s no hiding from the importance of these matches — and the consequences of defeat.
While many would take a point before kick-off tonight, Clark talks the talk of a man who is not happy to settle for second best.
“Obviously we’ll go out there and try to get the win. Three points would be great but if it comes down to it and you do get a point, it’s obviously a good result away from home. Initially we’ll be going out to try and win the game. Nobody wants to go out and play for a draw.”
