LEE CLARK today quashed rumours of a move for Northern Ireland midfielder Sammy Clingan, saying: “He’s good enough to play in the Premier League and he could well end up there.”

Town are among a clutch of clubs, most of them in the Championship, being linked with Norwich’s 25-year-old former Wolves and Nottingham Forest player.

The fact that Clark coached Clingan at Carrow Road before becoming Galpharm manager in December has added fuel to the fire.

But the boss insisted: “Sam is a very good footballer, and I’d love to have him on board, but I think that if he goes, it will be to a Premier League or high-end Championship club.”

Cardiff and Coventry are among those being linked with Belfast-born Clingan, with the Sky Blues said to be offering Town frontline target Robbie Simpson to Norwich as bait.

Clark, meanwhile, has welcomed the prospect of a Carling Cup home first-round clash with League I rivals Stockport County on Tuesday, August 11 (7.45).

The Edgeley Park side, who are currently attempting to come out of administration and are without a manager, were the highest-ranked side Town could have been paired with in a seeded draw split into North and South sections.

“The first thing you ask for in any cup draw is to be at home, and we’ve got that,” said Clark, who will learn his team’s League I fixture list at 10.00am today.

“We had a tough game against them in February (it finished 1-1) and while there’s been a bit of change over there, they’ve still got some good young players and I expect a real test.

“I treat any competition we’re involved in very seriously, and I will ensure we are fully prepared for the tie, because I’d love a good cup run.”

Visit www.examiner.co.uk at 10am for the full list of 2009/10 fixtures for Huddersfield Town.