By Tony Jimenez LONDON, Feb 18 (Reuters) - Darren Clarke could be forgiven for thinking "How do I follow THAT?" after being appointed Europe's 2016 Ryder Cup captain on Wednesday. The 46-year-old Northern Irishman takes over as skipper from Paul McGinley and his former friend will be a tough act to follow. McGinley, a member of the five-man panel that selected Clarke as leader, was hailed as a true inspiration by his players after plotting the downfall of Tom Watson's United States side in Scotland in September. "The speeches he gave, the videos he showed us, the people he got in to talk us, the imagery in the team room, it all tied in together." McGinley singled out Alex Ferguson as a key member of his backroom team at Gleneagles, and there are shades of the Scot's departure from Manchester United after a glittering 26-year spell as manager about Clarke's appointment as captain. More...