Ben Foster tells Jeff Stelling what Steve Clarke did behind the scenes at West Brom
Ben Foster has revealed what it was like playing for Scotland manager Steve Clarke when he was in charge at West Brom.
The Baggies have seen several managers pass through The Hawthorns’ doors over the years.
Ryan Mason is the latest coach at West Brom and has had mixed reactions to his tenure.
Clarke, on the other hand, was a valued figure at The Hawthorns despite his short time at the club.
Steve Clarke believed in himself completely at West Brom
Clarke was appointed as West Brom’s head coach in 2012 and oversaw one and a half seasons in the Premier League.
The 62-year-old came across as a down-to-earth guy, and retired West Brom star Foster reinforced this perception while talking to talkSPORT via YouTube on 18 November.
“That’s what he’s like. That’s exactly what he’s like,” Foster told Jeff Stelling.
“Very calm, very composed. Not necessarily a shouter or screamer, if it needed be he would, he’d get involved and tell people what he thinks.
“But he was very driven by his own thoughts and what he wanted to do, and he won’t waver from it either. So if he’s got a plan, he’s sticking to the plan. He won’t change it at the last minute or anything silly like that.
“But good manager and good guy as well and I actually really enjoyed playing under him.”
Mason has been criticised for his stubbornness at West Brom as fans continue to point out his uninspiring starting lineups.
Albion’s 2-1 win over Oxford United before the international break was their first in four consecutive Championship games.
While an argument can be made that Mason was set up to fail at West Brom, given the departure of key creative players like Tom Fellows.
The former Tottenham star must start producing results, or else he could spend a shorter time at The Hawthorns than Clark did over a decade ago.
What is Steve Clarke’s managerial record at West Brom?
There are greater similarities between Mason and Clarke than most would first believe.
To start with, the Albion job was Clarke’s first permanent managerial role for any club, despite being referred to as “head coach” at the time.
This is similar to Mason who was an assistant coach at Tottenham before arriving at the Hawthorns.
Clarke’s tenure at West Brom is best remembered by its inconsistent results:
- He spent 554 days as Albion head coach
- Clarke won 19 games and suffered 27 defeats while at the helm
- He produced 14 draws and used 36 players across two seasons
Despite this, Clarke survived relegation from the Premier League while manager at Albion.
He now manages Scotland’s national team and has done so since 2019 and holds the record for the most games managed for Scotland, hitting 73 during the 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers.
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