Former Mansfield Town midfielder Darrell Clarke named new Tranmere Rovers manager
Tranmere Rovers have announced Darrell Clarke as their new manager ahead of the 2026/27 season.
The Mansfield-born coach has signed a two-year deal with the Merseyside club, after they narrowly avoided relegation from League Two. Rovers will be the seventh club Clarke has managed during his career. He was most recently in charge of Bristol Rovers during a short stint in 2025.
Tranmere Rovers avoided the drop to the National League after their battle at the bottom of the table went down to the wire. They finished two points above the danger zone thanks to a 1-1 draw against Grimsby Town on the last day of the season.
Clarke succeeds Pete Wild at the helm of Rovers, who took charge as interim manager following the sacking of Andy Crosby in March.
“I'm thrilled to be joining Tranmere Rovers,” Clarke told the club website. “This is a club with real history, a passionate fanbase and huge potential, and I can't wait to get started.”
Clarke’s playing career started at Mansfield Town, having worked his way from the youth ranks up to the senior team. He signed his first professional contract with Stags in 1995.
After playing for his hometown side for six years, Clarke move to Hartlepool United, where he spent another six years. The former midfielder retired after his final chapter with Salisbury City, where he served as player-manager.
Since leaving Salisbury, Clarke has managed Bristol Rovers on two occasions, Walsall, Port Vale, Cheltenham Town and Barnsley. His new role with Tranmere will require a busy summer period on the transfer front.
A number of new signings are expected to make their way to Prenton Park over the coming months after 12 players departed at the end of the season. Clarke is already well aware of the recruitment job at hand and he is ready to get stuck in.
“The chairman was very open with me about the fact that there is a big recruitment job to do,” he continued. “We have fewer players under contract than usual at this time of year, but I see that as an attraction because the job is much harder when you are inheriting a large number of players who are already under contract but may not fit with your style or be the type of characters you want in the building.”