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Former Scotland assistant coach Steven Reid worked with Clarke at Reading, and once described how his boss moved a cone he had placed for a training drill by a matter of inches.
Plenty who have seen him on the training ground talk about his attention to detail, and Clarke himself says he is at his most content delivering sessions.
Jose Mourinho, Kenny Dalglish, and Ruud Gullit all hired him as a coach before he made a belated move into management with West Brom at 48 years old.
Dicker said Clarke's coaching left "no grey areas" for the Kilmarnock squad during his impressive spell at Rugby Park.
His ability to bring a squad close together with clear instructions as been a hallmark of his management, even though Clarke is sometimes criticised for his conservative approach.
Those critics were loudest when Scotland failed to get out of their Euro 2024 group, losing to Hungary in their final group game without managing a shot on target.
Scotland have not won any of their matches at their two previous major finals.
It meant news of a four-year deal on the eve of the World Cup was not universally welcomed. Some would have preferred his future was decided after returning from the United States. But it was clear the players wanted him to stay.
Clarke pushes back at suggestions that he is not adaptable. Given he has changed formations regularly, and evolved the squad slowly over time you can see why.
When hit with setbacks he has come up with solutions, perhaps while on some of his beloved fly fishing trips.
After initially being deployed as a centre-back, McTominay became a goalscoring midfielder for Clarke before his ascent in a similar role for Manchester United and Napoli.
Another example is bringing in winger Ben Gannon-Doak despite his limited experience, which transformed Scotland's 2024 Nations League campaign. The Bournemouth youngster has been a key player since.
"I think I've shown consistently throughout my time that I'm prepared to try something different," Clarke told BBC Scotland.
He has struck a more relaxed done in the build-up to World Cup, citing lessons learned from the disappointing European Championships.
Clarke will have to channel his coaching skills, human touch, and experience to become the first Scotland manager to guide a side to the knockout stage of a major finals.
As he writes the next chapter in his career, that would be the perfect beginning.
