Leboeuf: Clarke my best centre-back partner
Former Chelsea defender Frank Leboeuf has named Steve Clarke as his favourite ever centre-back partner.
The 45-year-old French World Cup winner helped the Blues win two FA Cups, the League Cup and UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup during a five-year stay in West London where he made more than 200 league appearances.
Leboeuf played alongside a plethora of defenders at Stamford Bridge, including Champions League winner Marcel Desailly and current Chelsea skipper John Terry.
But when asked to name his favourite ever team-mate at the heart of the defence, the former Strasbourg and Marseille man picked Clarke.
“We have to give it Steve Clarke, my partner at Chelsea,” Leboeuf told FourFourTwo. "He was such a big worker, he never gave up and he knew his limits.
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"He knew what he was about to do and not do, he was the perfect team-mate and he would have died for Chelsea. He worked so hard so I have to give him a tribute.”
The Scot made more than 400 outings for the Blues from 1987-98 before becoming Jose Mourinho’s assistant manager in 2004.
Clarke returns to Stamford Bridge on Saturday with his West Bromwich Albion side. The Baggies sit 11th in the table having recently won 2-1 at Manchester United.
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Gregg Davies is the Chief Sub Editor of FourFourTwo magazine, joining the team in January 2008 and spending seven years working on the website. He supports non-league behemoths Hereford and commentates on Bulls matches for Radio Hereford FC. His passions include chocolate hobnobs and attempting to shoehorn Ronnie Radford into any office conversation.