Ian Harte has claimed that Jose Mourinho liked Jack Clarke at Tottenham Hotspur, but the winger suffered at Spurs due to the constant chopping and changing of managers.
Clarke has rediscovered himself at Sunderland in the Championship and was in demand during winter transfer window when clubs in Italy wanted to sign him.
There is talk of Premier League interest in him as well but his previous experience at a top flight club in England was not smooth.
The winger was snapped up by Tottenham in 2019 but by the time he joined Spurs, Mauricio Pochettino, the manager who signed him, was sacked.
Harte, a former Leeds player and the agent of Clarke, stressed that Mourinho, who replaced Pochettino, was actually fond of the player and had several meetings with him.
However, Tottenham continued to chop and change managers and for a player of Clarke’s inexperience, he struggled in such an environment, Harte insists.
Harte said on the No Tippy Tappy Football podcast: “It was actually Mauricio who signed him.
“Mauricio signed him, but he went in the first couple of months when the documentary was going on and things were going on behind the scenes.
“Then Jose came into Tottenham and he actually liked Jack, had many meetings with Jack, he gave him an opportunity and played him in one or two games in Europe.
“Then Nuno coming in and then Conte so for a young lad that had not proven himself at that level and the conveyor belt of different managers coming in, it was always difficult.”
There are suggestions that Clarke is likely to leave Sunderland in the summer if they do not get promoted.
