Former Liverpool star Bobby Clark has been forced to clarify a gesture he made during Derby County's defeat against Stoke this weekend after being confronted by a fan

Former Liverpool midfielder Bobby Clark, who was a part of the team that won the Carabao Cup with Jurgen Klopp in February 2024, was forced to clarify a gesture he made while playing for Derby County this weekend.

Clark, who left Liverpool in the summer that Arne Slot arrived to sign for Pep Lijnders at Red Bull Salzburg, is now playing in the second tier in England, where he is a key man for Derby.

But some fans took issue with his reaction towards them following a defeat at home against Stoke City, which he later clarified. The loss leaves Derby second-bottom in the standings, only ahead of Preston.

"For everyone saying I cupped my ears to the fans, (I) just wanted to say that is not the case at all," Clark posted on X. "It was to a fan who was giving me stick repeatedly. That is something I definitely wouldn’t do after a loss."

Derby fans replied with support for Clark, who impressed on loan in the Championship last season and earned a permanent transfer from Red Bull Salzburg during the summer.

Jurgen Klopp was a big fan of Clark. Back in 2022, when the attacking midfielder was 17 and was training with the Liverpool first team, he described him as a "really interesting player".

Over the years that followed, he was given various chances to impress, doing well in the domestic cups and the Europa League before making the switch to Austria.

Clark did well in a 6-1 victory over Sparta Prague in Europe, which saw Klopp praise him again. "He played incredibly," the German said. "It was his first goal, but he won the ball back then and he was after another one."

After that impressive few months, Clark opted to move on in search of a more regular role. He was linked with Celtic and Rangers, among others, but picked Salzburg, where he could link up with Lijnders.

While the move, which was worth around $13 million (£10 million), did not work out, he is now getting his career back on track. Clark has two goals and two assists so far this season.

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"If I’m being honest, I did think I would play for the club again," Clark said when he re-signed for Derby in the summer. "I made that clear and people at the club did as well.

"I think people could tell, the way I enjoyed being here and the when the fans would ask me to stay, I’d have to say: ‘Oh, we’ll see,’ but I knew deep down that I wanted to come back.

"From the very beginning, the gaffer put trust in me, got me up to speed and then I got the minutes I needed on the pitch. I enjoyed everything about the club, the team, everyone working for the club, the fanbase. I thought it was the perfect destination for me."