Gianfranco Zola urges Hibernian to put Steve Clarke in charge

GIANFRANCO Zola has urged Hibernian to appoint Steve Clarke, his former Chelsea team-mate and also assistant manager at West Ham, as John Hughes's successor at Easter Road.

The Italian, who is in Scotland this week playing golf in the Dunhill Links Championship, reckons Clarke, who started his career at St Mirren before making more than 300 appearances for Chelsea, winning six Scotland caps, would be a "great appointment".

"He has been a brilliant assistant manager for me and I believe he is ready to go into management in his own right," said Zola.

"His experience and knowledge of the game is huge and I believe he will be a good manager, whether it is for Hibs or somewhere else.

"I think his best qualities are his organisation, he is extremely thorough and his training sessions are brilliant. Players enjoy working with him."

Zola and Clarke played together at Chelsea, where the Scot was No 2 to Jose Mourinho during the height of the success he enjoyed at Stamford Bridge.

When Zola got the West Ham job, he quickly turned to Clarke, who had a spell as caretaker manager at Newcastle after hanging up his boots, as an assistant, but the pair left Upton Park in the summer after the London club narrowly avoided relegation.

"He was a great help for me as a young manager. Having worked with a great manager like Mourinho he knew the game well from every position and I will always be grateful for all the help and guidance he gave me," added Zola.

"We spoke a lot during our time at West Ham and I know that he was willing to go out and try management on his own.

"I've never had any doubt that he has the ability to do that. He is ready.

"He might not have worked in Scottish football but that doesn't matter in my eyes because football is the same everywhere - and he is a Scot, so he certainly knows the game well."