Steve McClaren
Encyclopedia
Stephen "Steve" McClaren (born 3 May 1961) is an English football manager
and former player.
McClaren was previously manager of VfL Wolfsburg
in Germany
between May 2010 and February 2011, having left his post at Dutch
side FC Twente
, with whom he won the club's first Eredivisie
championship in the 2009–10 season. His managerial career began at Middlesbrough
in the Premier League, with whom he won the League Cup
in 2004 and finished as runners-up in the UEFA Cup
in 2006. McClaren served as Manager of England national football team
from 1 August 2006 to 21 December 2007. He was appointed following the resignation of Sven-Göran Eriksson
after the FIFA World Cup 2006. His tenure ended on 22 November 2007, when he was sacked after England failed to qualify for the 2008 UEFA European Football Championship. He was also assistant manager to Alex Ferguson
when Manchester United
won the Treble in 1999.
Following his successes at Manchester United and Middlesbrough, in which McClaren was viewed as a promising young coach, he was heavily vilified by the English media, in a similar personal manner as levelled at former manager Graham Taylor, following his failure to qualify for Euro 2008. He was dubbed 'The Wally with a Brolly', after his use of an umbrella
to protect himself from rain during his final game in charge. McClaren's time in charge at FC Twente saw his professional reputation recover somewhat as a result of guiding them to their first Eredivisie title in 2010
.
, York
, the son of Margaret (née Bogg) and Brian McClaren who had married the previous year. Described as "Yorkshire
born and bred", McClaren's ancestors worked variously as miner
s, brewer
s, cotton mill
workers, labourers
, farmworker
s and in domestic service
.
As a child, McClaren attended Nunthorpe Grammar School after passing his eleven plus exams, preferring it over a closer school because of the emphasis which was placed on sport
s. In order to attend he was forced to cycle a daily ten-mile round trip across York. This is cited as an example of his determination to succeed in sport. At school he played rugby
, tennis
, squash
and was captain of the school's football team. He also played for York Boys under-15 team and represented the county of Yorkshire. Playing as midfielder
, McClaren is remembered as being a "tiny" player but also "skilful on the ball" and "head and shoulders above the rest."
He is married to Kathryn with whom he has three sons called Joe, Sam and Josh. As of 2006, McClaren lived in the town of Yarm
in Stockton-on-Tees
. On becoming manager of Wolfsburg
, McClaren moved his family to Germany
.
who spent most of his career in the lower leagues of English football
. The bulk of his playing career was with , who he joined in 1979 at the age of 18 after leaving school, He went on to play 178 games scoring 16 goals before leaving in 1985. He then played for Derby County
between 1985 and 1988 making 25 appearances, During 1987 he joined Lincoln City
(on loan) making only 8 appearances. In 1988, he moved to Bristol City
and played 61 times scoring 2 goals. His final club was Oxford United
who he joined in 1989, he played 33 times before an injury forced him to retire in 1992.
. The pair won promotion to the Premier League in their first season in charge and later enjoyed further consolidation in the top flight.
In early 1999, McClaren moved to Manchester United
as assistant to Alex Ferguson
, replacing Brian Kidd
. At the time he was so unknown he was introduced by United chairman Martin Edwards
as "Steve McClaridge". His first half-season was distinguished by United winning the Treble
, consisting of the Premier League title, FA Cup
and UEFA Champions League
. He developed the reputation as one of the most tactically astute coaches in the country, using modern methods such as video analysis and sports psychologists
. United later won the League titles in 2000 and 2001, thus ensuring they won every title contested while McClaren was at the club.
In October 2000 McClaren was made a coach in the England national team
by caretaker-manager Peter Taylor. He retained the position under permanent manager Sven-Göran Eriksson
until November 2002, combining the job with his roles at club level. However, he returned to assist Eriksson as assistant manager
shortly before Euro 2004 as Brian Kidd had undergone surgery for prostate cancer
. He remained in the role up to and including the 2006 World Cup
finals.
were slim. With a positive reputation and closely linked with three Premier League vacancies, Middlesbrough
chairman Steve Gibson won the race to appoint him after McClaren turned down Southampton
and West Ham United
. In his first season, Middlesbrough reached the FA Cup semi-final, knocking out his previous employers Manchester United en route, but lost 0–1 to Arsenal
. They finished 12th in the league, a small improvement on the previous season's 14th-place finish. The following season bought another modest improvement, this time finishing eleventh.
In the 2003–04 season, McClaren guided Boro to victory in the League Cup
with a 2–1
win over Bolton Wanderers
in the final. This was the club's first ever major honour and also guaranteed them qualification for a European
competition for the first time in their 128-year history. In the following close season, McClaren was able to attract proven players Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink
, Michael Reiziger
and Mark Viduka
to the Riverside Stadium
. The signings paid dividends as the club reached the round of 16 in the UEFA Cup
, having beaten more experienced sides such as S.S. Lazio
, before being eliminated by Sporting Clube de Portugal. The club finished in seventh position in the Premier League—their best finish since 1975—ensuring qualification for the UEFA Cup for a second successive season.
The 2005–06 season proved to be the most eventful of McClaren's tenure at Middlesbrough. The club endured mediocre league form, humiliatingly losing at home to local rivals Sunderland
(who went on to be relegated with a then record low points total) and suffering a 0–7 thrashing at Arsenal, putting the club in relegation form. During a 0–4 defeat at home to Aston Villa
, a Middlesbrough fan ran onto the pitch and threw his season ticket at McClaren signifying his disgust at the club's performances. Boro eventually finished 14th but enjoyed greater success in the cup competitions, reaching the latter stages of both the FA and UEFA Cups. They lost 0–1 to West Ham United
in the FA Cup semi-finals. In the UEFA Cup, Middlesbrough were losing on aggregate in the second legs of both the quarter and semi-final ties against FC Basel
and FC Steaua Bucureşti respectively. After McClaren substituted defenders with attackers Boro produced two spectacular four goal comebacks in both ties to reach the final. In the final, however, Middlesbrough were outclassed by Sevilla
and lost 0–4.
McClaren's five year tenure on Teesside
saw him establish himself as Middlesbrough's most successful manager as he made the often difficult transition from coach to manager. He was also the most successful English manager of the early 21st century; he was the first Englishman to win a major honour since 1996 and first to reach the UEFA Cup final since 1984. However, many Boro fans were indifferent about his departure believing Steve Gibson, the club chairman, to be more important to their success. McClaren was accused by rival managers as having a "pot of gold" provided by Gibson to buy players, giving him an advantage over other teams when signing players. Despite this, towards the latter end of his tenure McClaren was criticised by supporters of using negative tactics and earning Middlesbrough the tag of a "dull" side. Some observers attributed Middlesbrough's success to the senior, experienced players in the side rather than McClaren's managerial ability.
McClaren was placed on the Football Association
's shortlist to succeed him alongside Sam Allardyce
, Alan Curbishley
, Martin O'Neill
and Luiz Felipe Scolari
. The FA first offered the position to Scolari, but he rejected the offer claiming that the role would mean excessive media intrusion in his life. McClaren was subsequently announced as Eriksson's successor on 4 May 2006 after signing a four year contract. The nature of his appointment earned him the nickname "Second Choice Steve". The appointment was praised by the likes of Alan Hansen
, Sir Alex Ferguson
and Sir Trevor Brooking
. However, the majority of England fans on the BBC
's 6-0-6
messageboards
were dissatisfied with the FA's choice. McClaren assumed control of the national team on 1 August 2006. He chose popular former England coach Terry Venables
as his assistant, a move seen by some as an attempt to try and counter the lack of enthusiasm for McClaren. He also hired public relations
guru Max Clifford
to manage his relationship with the media
.
McClaren's first decision was to choose the new England captain. He decided to give the arm band to John Terry
, the Chelsea defender and captain who at the time had 24 England caps, saying "I'm convinced he will prove to be one of the best captains England has ever had." In his first squad, McClaren dropped many of the national team's older players including Sol Campbell
, David James
and former captain David Beckham
, saying he was planning for "a different direction." However, McClaren stated that there was still a chance that Beckham could be recalled in the future. McClaren was blessed with a relatively weak European Championship qualifying group from which to qualify, which with the exception of Croatia and Russia, was a group England were expected to win outright. After initially starting well with three wins, England hit a poor run of form between October 2006 and March 2007 with only one goal scored in five matches. During a European qualifier match against minnows
Andorra
in March 2007, McClaren and the England team received abuse from supporters during a poor performance in a 3–0 win. McClaren walked out of the post-match press conference following the Andorra game after only two minutes of questions, saying, "Gentlemen, if you want to write whatever you want to write, you can write it because that is all I am going to say. Thank you." England had fallen to fourth in their qualification group.
In May 2007, McClaren made a U-turn by recalling Beckham into the England squad. England subsequently had a run of four wins from six matches, which boosted the country's hopes of qualification for Euro 2008 before a defeat against Russia
in October 2007, causing England's qualification fate to fall out of their hands. The FA's chief executive, Brian Barwick
, gave his backing to McClaren, despite the defeat. McClaren was also backed by players Phil Neville and Steven Gerrard
, his predecessor Eriksson, and the chief executive of the League Managers Association
John Barnwell
.
The results of other matches in England's qualification group meant that England would qualify if undefeated in their final group match against Croatia
. The match was played at Wembley on 21 November 2007 and England lost 3–2; coupled with Russia's
victory over Andorra
, this meant that England would not be at Euro 2008. It was the first time in 14 years that England had not qualified for a major tournament, and the first time in 24 years that they had not qualified for the European Championships.
The following day, the FA held an emergency meeting at which McClaren was removed from the post of England coach along with his assistant manager Terry Venables
. McClaren's tenure was the shortest of any England manager to date, spanning just 18 games in 16 months. On 14 December 2007, it was announced his post had been taken up by Fabio Capello
commencing from 7 January 2008.
or abroad in his next job. In May 2008, McClaren had a brief spell coaching then League Two
side Darlington
, assisting his former Oxford United team-mate Dave Penney.
In April 2008, the BBC
announced McClaren would join them as a pundit for Euro 2008, working as analyst and co-commentator for BBC Radio 5 Live
, alongside Alan Green, one of his harshest critics as England manager. The decision to employ McClaren as an 'expert analyst' was met with much criticism, notably from former BBC pundit Ian Wright
. McClaren's first commentary game was Austria
v Croatia
on 8 June 2008, Croatia having been the team chiefly responsible for England's non-qualification for the tournament, having beaten England twice in qualifying.
. He was in the crowd for a match against Ajax on 18 May 2008, seeing Twente qualify for the UEFA Champions League
. In response to speculation, a Twente spokesman initially stated that the club had no intention of hiring McClaren. However, later that month it was reported McClaren had held talks with Twente Chairman Joop Munsterman and had toured the club, despite question marks from some Twente fans to his possible appointment. When he was initially offered the Twente managerial job, McClaren turned it down due to private issues and on 7 June 2008 he expressed an interest in the vacant managerial role at Blackburn Rovers
. However, on 20 June 2008 he was confirmed as the new manager of Twente.
McClaren made a good start to the 2008–09 season. The club went on to secure second place in the Dutch league behind winners AZ Alkmaar, reached the final of the Dutch Cup (losing on penalties to SC Heerenveen) and on the European front, the club survived group stages in the UEFA Cup, having beaten amongst others Racing Santander and Schalke 04, managed by McClaren's predecessor at Twente Fred Rutten. It was the first time in 30 years that the club had remained in European competition beyond winter. Twente were eventually knocked out on penalties in the Round of 32 by Marseilles
.
At the start of the 2009–10 campaign
, McClaren's second season at FC Twente, there were question-marks over how well newcomers Bryan Ruiz
and Miroslav Stoch
would be able to replace the departed Eljero Elia
and Marko Arnautović
, who had been at the core of Twente's second place finish in the league the preceding year. However, McClaren led the team to some impressive results, with Twente reaching the top of the league in October and remaining top throughout the next few months. FC Twente, which had never won a Eredivisie title in its history, continued to top the league in the latter part of the season, holding off the likes of renowned competitors PSV and Ajax, and seriously emerged as title favourites. They also reached the first knockout round of the inaugural Europa League, where they were defeated by SV Werder Bremen
. McClaren signed a one year extension to his contract in October 2009.
On 2 May 2010, FC Twente were crowned champions for the first time in their history after a 2–0 win away to NAC Breda. On winning the Eredivisie, McClaren became the first Englishman to manage a team to a top-level domestic league title since Bobby Robson
with F. C. Porto in 1996 (Robson also won the Dutch title with PSV Eindhoven in 1991 and 1992). Robson had in fact been a major influence in McClaren's decision to go to Holland. According to McClaren, "The relationship I had with Bobby was very special. He was a good friend and was of big influence on my decision to join FC Twente. I'd like to think that he'll be watching from a cloud up above and wishes us the best as we play the last game in the league against NAC". Twente won 16 of 17 home matches in the Eredivisie league that season and lost just two away. Twente withstood immense pressure from Martin Jol
's Ajax (who won their last 14 games in a row and had a goal difference of +86, more than double Twente's +40) during the second half of the season and trumped the Amsterdam
side by one point difference on the last day of the league to claim the title. Upon winning the championship, McClaren stated "Winning the Carling Cup with Middlesbrough was special but this is pretty much right up at the top of anything I've ever done. To win a championship in a foreign country with foreign coaches, I think it's made me stronger."
At the end of the season, McClaren was awarded the Rinus Michels Award
for Dutch manager of the season.
side Wolfsburg
, making him the first Englishman to manage a German top flight football club. Wolfsburg lost their first three league matches under McClaren – including a 2–1 injury time away loss to Bayern Munich
on the opening day of the season, followed by a 4–3 home loss to Mainz
having led 3–0 after thirty minutes – but got off the mark with a 2–0 home win against Hannover
. Wolfsburg then won their next two matches convincingly to rise to sixth in the table.
Despite struggling in the league, on 23 December 2010 VfL Wolfsburg
publicly showed a vote of confidence in McClaren. However, due to further poor results, on 7 February 2011 the board decided to sack McClaren with immediate effect.
As assistant manager
As manager
Manager (association football)
In association football, a manager is responsible for running a football club or a national team. The manager of a professional club is responsible directly to the club president. The position of manager is almost exclusively used in British football...
and former player.
McClaren was previously manager of VfL Wolfsburg
VfL Wolfsburg
VfL Wolfsburg is a professional German association football club based in Wolfsburg, Lower Saxony, who play in the Bundesliga football competition. Wolfsburg have won the Bundesliga once in their history, in the 2008–09 season, and were DFB-Pokal runners-up in 1995. The current head coach is Felix...
in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
between May 2010 and February 2011, having left his post at Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
side FC Twente
FC Twente
FC Twente is a Dutch professional football club from the city of Enschede, playing in the Eredivisie. The club was formed in 1965 by the merger of 1926 Eredivisie Champions, Sportclub Enschede and Enschedese Boys...
, with whom he won the club's first Eredivisie
Eredivisie
The Eredivisie is the highest football league in the Netherlands. The league was founded in 1956 two years after the start of professional football in the Netherlands. It is currently ranked the ninth best league in Europe by UEFA....
championship in the 2009–10 season. His managerial career began at Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough F.C.
Middlesbrough Football Club , also known as Boro, are an English football club based in Middlesbrough, who play in the Football League Championship. Formed in 1876, they have played at the Riverside Stadium since August 1995, their third ground since turning professional in 1889...
in the Premier League, with whom he won the League Cup
Football League Cup
The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
in 2004 and finished as runners-up in the UEFA Cup
UEFA Cup
The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
in 2006. McClaren served as Manager of England national football team
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
from 1 August 2006 to 21 December 2007. He was appointed following the resignation of Sven-Göran Eriksson
Sven-Göran Eriksson
Sven-Göran Eriksson , in Sweden commonly referred to just by his nickname Svennis, is a Swedish ex-football manager. From October 2010 to October 2011 he managed Football League Championship side Leicester City....
after the FIFA World Cup 2006. His tenure ended on 22 November 2007, when he was sacked after England failed to qualify for the 2008 UEFA European Football Championship. He was also assistant manager to Alex Ferguson
Alex Ferguson
Sir Alexander Chapman "Alex" Ferguson, CBE is a Scottish association football manager and former player, currently managing Manchester United, where he has been in charge since 1986...
when Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
won the Treble in 1999.
Following his successes at Manchester United and Middlesbrough, in which McClaren was viewed as a promising young coach, he was heavily vilified by the English media, in a similar personal manner as levelled at former manager Graham Taylor, following his failure to qualify for Euro 2008. He was dubbed 'The Wally with a Brolly', after his use of an umbrella
Umbrella
An umbrella or parasol is a canopy designed to protect against rain or sunlight. The term parasol usually refers to an item designed to protect from the sun; umbrella refers to a device more suited to protect from rain...
to protect himself from rain during his final game in charge. McClaren's time in charge at FC Twente saw his professional reputation recover somewhat as a result of guiding them to their first Eredivisie title in 2010
2009–10 Eredivisie
-Personnel and sponsoring:-Managerial changes:-League table:-Results:...
.
Early life
Stephen McClaren was born on May 3, 1961 in FulfordFulford
Fulford is a historic village and civil parish on the outskirts of York, England. Situated to the south of the city, on the east bank of the River Ouse, it was the site of the 11th century Battle of Fulford...
, York
York
York is a walled city, situated at the confluence of the Rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. The city has a rich heritage and has provided the backdrop to major political events throughout much of its two millennia of existence...
, the son of Margaret (née Bogg) and Brian McClaren who had married the previous year. Described as "Yorkshire
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
born and bred", McClaren's ancestors worked variously as miner
Mining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, from an ore body, vein or seam. The term also includes the removal of soil. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock...
s, brewer
Brewing
Brewing is the production of beer through steeping a starch source in water and then fermenting with yeast. Brewing has taken place since around the 6th millennium BCE, and archeological evidence suggests that this technique was used in ancient Egypt...
s, cotton mill
Cotton mill
A cotton mill is a factory that houses spinning and weaving machinery. Typically built between 1775 and 1930, mills spun cotton which was an important product during the Industrial Revolution....
workers, labourers
Manual labour
Manual labour , manual or manual work is physical work done by people, most especially in contrast to that done by machines, and also to that done by working animals...
, farmworker
Farmworker
A farmworker is a person hired to work in the agricultural industry. This includes work on farms of all sizes, from small, family-run businesses to large industrial agriculture operations...
s and in domestic service
Domestic worker
A domestic worker is a man, woman or child who works within the employer's household. Domestic workers perform a variety of household services for an individual or a family, from providing care for children and elderly dependents to cleaning and household maintenance, known as housekeeping...
.
As a child, McClaren attended Nunthorpe Grammar School after passing his eleven plus exams, preferring it over a closer school because of the emphasis which was placed on sport
Sport
A Sport is all forms of physical activity which, through casual or organised participation, aim to use, maintain or improve physical fitness and provide entertainment to participants. Sport may be competitive, where a winner or winners can be identified by objective means, and may require a degree...
s. In order to attend he was forced to cycle a daily ten-mile round trip across York. This is cited as an example of his determination to succeed in sport. At school he played rugby
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
, tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
, squash
Squash (sport)
Squash is a high-speed racquet sport played by two players in a four-walled court with a small, hollow rubber ball...
and was captain of the school's football team. He also played for York Boys under-15 team and represented the county of Yorkshire. Playing as midfielder
Midfielder
A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...
, McClaren is remembered as being a "tiny" player but also "skilful on the ball" and "head and shoulders above the rest."
He is married to Kathryn with whom he has three sons called Joe, Sam and Josh. As of 2006, McClaren lived in the town of Yarm
Yarm
Yarm is a small town and civil parish in the borough of Stockton-on-Tees in North East England. It is on the south bank of the River Tees and for ceremonial purposes is in North Yorkshire...
in Stockton-on-Tees
Stockton-on-Tees (borough)
Stockton-on-Tees is a unitary authority area and borough in the Tees Valley area of north east England, with a population in 2001 of 178,408, rising to 185,880 in 2005 estimates....
. On becoming manager of Wolfsburg
VfL Wolfsburg
VfL Wolfsburg is a professional German association football club based in Wolfsburg, Lower Saxony, who play in the Bundesliga football competition. Wolfsburg have won the Bundesliga once in their history, in the 2008–09 season, and were DFB-Pokal runners-up in 1995. The current head coach is Felix...
, McClaren moved his family to Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
.
Playing career
As a player, McClaren was a midfielderMidfielder
A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...
who spent most of his career in the lower leagues of English football
Football in England
Association football is a national sport in England, where the first modern set of rules for the code were established in 1863, which were a major influence on the development of the modern Laws of the Game...
. The bulk of his playing career was with , who he joined in 1979 at the age of 18 after leaving school, He went on to play 178 games scoring 16 goals before leaving in 1985. He then played for Derby County
Derby County F.C.
Derby County Football Club is an English football based in Derby. the club play in the Football League Championship and is notable as being one of the twelve founder members of the Football League in 1888 and is, therefore, one of only ten clubs to have competed in every season of the English...
between 1985 and 1988 making 25 appearances, During 1987 he joined Lincoln City
Lincoln City F.C.
Lincoln City Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Lincoln, Lincolnshire. The club are currently members of the Conference National in 2011–12 following relegation from the Football League....
(on loan) making only 8 appearances. In 1988, he moved to Bristol City
Bristol City F.C.
Bristol City Football Club is one of two football league clubs in Bristol, England . They play at Ashton Gate, located in the south-west of the City...
and played 61 times scoring 2 goals. His final club was Oxford United
Oxford United F.C.
Oxford United Football Club is an English association football club based in Oxford, Oxfordshire. The club play in League Two, following promotion from the Conference National in May 2010. The club had been a non-League side since their relegation from the Football League in the 2005–06 season. The...
who he joined in 1989, he played 33 times before an injury forced him to retire in 1992.
Coaching career
After retiring from playing McClaren began his coaching career as a youth and reserve team coach at Oxford United, where Denis Smith was manager. He moved back to Derby County in 1995, where he was assistant manager to Jim SmithJim Smith (footballer)
James Michael "Jim" Smith is a retired English footballer and manager. As a player, he made 249 appearances in the Fourth Division of The Football League, representing Aldershot, Halifax Town, Lincoln City and Colchester United, and played for three-and-a-half years for Boston United of the...
. The pair won promotion to the Premier League in their first season in charge and later enjoyed further consolidation in the top flight.
In early 1999, McClaren moved to Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
as assistant to Alex Ferguson
Alex Ferguson
Sir Alexander Chapman "Alex" Ferguson, CBE is a Scottish association football manager and former player, currently managing Manchester United, where he has been in charge since 1986...
, replacing Brian Kidd
Brian Kidd
Brian Kidd is an English football coach and former player, who is currently Assistant Manager to Roberto Mancini at Manchester City....
. At the time he was so unknown he was introduced by United chairman Martin Edwards
Martin Edwards
Charles Martin Edwards was the chairman of Manchester United from 1980 until 2002. He now holds the position of honorary life president at the club.- Education :...
as "Steve McClaridge". His first half-season was distinguished by United winning the Treble
The Treble
The term treble or Treble is used in association football to refer to a team winning three trophies in a single season. Honours usually considered to contribute to a treble are the top-tier domestic league competition, domestic cup competitions, and continental tournaments; although this depends to...
, consisting of the Premier League title, FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
and UEFA Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
. He developed the reputation as one of the most tactically astute coaches in the country, using modern methods such as video analysis and sports psychologists
Sport psychology
Sport psychology is an interdisciplinary science that draws on knowledge from the fields of kinesiology and psychology. It involves the study of how psychological factors affect performance and how participation in sport and exercise affect psychological and physical factors...
. United later won the League titles in 2000 and 2001, thus ensuring they won every title contested while McClaren was at the club.
In October 2000 McClaren was made a coach in the England national team
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
by caretaker-manager Peter Taylor. He retained the position under permanent manager Sven-Göran Eriksson
Sven-Göran Eriksson
Sven-Göran Eriksson , in Sweden commonly referred to just by his nickname Svennis, is a Swedish ex-football manager. From October 2010 to October 2011 he managed Football League Championship side Leicester City....
until November 2002, combining the job with his roles at club level. However, he returned to assist Eriksson as assistant manager
Assistant Manager
An assistant manager is an employee of an organization with manager's authority. Examples of this position can be found in retail and other service businesses where the need to have more than one member of daily operations management is important....
shortly before Euro 2004 as Brian Kidd had undergone surgery for prostate cancer
Prostate cancer
Prostate cancer is a form of cancer that develops in the prostate, a gland in the male reproductive system. Most prostate cancers are slow growing; however, there are cases of aggressive prostate cancers. The cancer cells may metastasize from the prostate to other parts of the body, particularly...
. He remained in the role up to and including the 2006 World Cup
2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...
finals.
Middlesbrough
At the end of the 2000–01 season McClaren began looking for a managerial job, having decided his chances of succeeding Ferguson at Old TraffordOld Trafford (football)
Old Trafford is a football stadium in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, England, and the home of Manchester United. With a capacity of 75,811, Old Trafford is the second-largest football stadium in England after Wembley, the third-largest in the United Kingdom and the eleventh-largest in Europe...
were slim. With a positive reputation and closely linked with three Premier League vacancies, Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough F.C.
Middlesbrough Football Club , also known as Boro, are an English football club based in Middlesbrough, who play in the Football League Championship. Formed in 1876, they have played at the Riverside Stadium since August 1995, their third ground since turning professional in 1889...
chairman Steve Gibson won the race to appoint him after McClaren turned down Southampton
Southampton F.C.
Southampton Football Club is an English football team, nicknamed The Saints, based in the city of Southampton, Hampshire. The club gained promotion to the Championship from League One in the 2010–2011 season after being relegated in 2009. Their home ground is the St Mary's Stadium, where the club...
and West Ham United
West Ham United F.C.
West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London. They play in The Football League Championship. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current...
. In his first season, Middlesbrough reached the FA Cup semi-final, knocking out his previous employers Manchester United en route, but lost 0–1 to Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
. They finished 12th in the league, a small improvement on the previous season's 14th-place finish. The following season bought another modest improvement, this time finishing eleventh.
Football League Cup
The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
with a 2–1
2004 Football League Cup Final
The 2004 Football League Cup Final was played between Bolton Wanderers and Middlesbrough at the Millennium Stadium on 29 February 2004. Middlesbrough won the game 2-1 to clinch their first major trophy...
win over Bolton Wanderers
Bolton Wanderers F.C.
Bolton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the area of Horwich in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester. They began their current spell in the Premier League in 2001....
in the final. This was the club's first ever major honour and also guaranteed them qualification for a European
UEFA
The Union of European Football Associations , almost always referred to by its acronym UEFA is the administrative and controlling body for European association football, futsal and beach soccer....
competition for the first time in their 128-year history. In the following close season, McClaren was able to attract proven players Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink
Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink
Jerrel Hasselbaink usually known as Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink is a Dutch former football striker who played for various clubs in the Netherlands, Portugal, England, and Spain, as well as the Dutch national team. He scored more than 200 career goals...
, Michael Reiziger
Michael Reiziger
Michael John Reiziger is a retired Dutch footballer who played mainly as a right defender.After making a name for himself at Ajax, with whom he won one Champions League, he went on to represent three teams in three different countries, namely appearing for FC Barcelona, for which he played in...
and Mark Viduka
Mark Viduka
Mark Anthony Viduka is a former Australian soccer player who played as a centre forward. He captained the Australian national team at the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany to the last 16.-Melbourne Croatia:...
to the Riverside Stadium
Riverside Stadium
The Riverside Stadium is a football stadium in Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire, England, which has been the home of Middlesbrough F.C. since it opened in 1995...
. The signings paid dividends as the club reached the round of 16 in the UEFA Cup
UEFA Cup
The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
, having beaten more experienced sides such as S.S. Lazio
S.S. Lazio
Società Sportiva Lazio, commonly referred to as Lazio, is a professional Italian football club based in Rome. The team, founded in 1900, play in the Serie A and have spent most of their history in the top tier of Italian football...
, before being eliminated by Sporting Clube de Portugal. The club finished in seventh position in the Premier League—their best finish since 1975—ensuring qualification for the UEFA Cup for a second successive season.
The 2005–06 season proved to be the most eventful of McClaren's tenure at Middlesbrough. The club endured mediocre league form, humiliatingly losing at home to local rivals Sunderland
Sunderland A.F.C.
Sunderland Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear who currently play in the Premier League...
(who went on to be relegated with a then record low points total) and suffering a 0–7 thrashing at Arsenal, putting the club in relegation form. During a 0–4 defeat at home to Aston Villa
Aston Villa F.C.
Aston Villa Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Witton, Birmingham. The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897. Aston Villa were founder members of The Football League in 1888. They were also founder...
, a Middlesbrough fan ran onto the pitch and threw his season ticket at McClaren signifying his disgust at the club's performances. Boro eventually finished 14th but enjoyed greater success in the cup competitions, reaching the latter stages of both the FA and UEFA Cups. They lost 0–1 to West Ham United
West Ham United F.C.
West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London. They play in The Football League Championship. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current...
in the FA Cup semi-finals. In the UEFA Cup, Middlesbrough were losing on aggregate in the second legs of both the quarter and semi-final ties against FC Basel
FC Basel
Fussball Club Basel 1893, widely known as FC Basel is a Swiss football club based in Basel. They are one of the most successful clubs in Swiss football, having won the Swiss Super League 14 times, the third most for any Swiss club. They were most successful in the late 1960s and 1970s, winning the...
and FC Steaua Bucureşti respectively. After McClaren substituted defenders with attackers Boro produced two spectacular four goal comebacks in both ties to reach the final. In the final, however, Middlesbrough were outclassed by Sevilla
Sevilla FC
Sevilla Fútbol Club S.A.D. is a Spanish professional football club based in Seville, Spain that plays in the Spanish La Liga championship.They are one of the most successful clubs in Spanish football having won a 1 La Liga title, 5 Spanish "Copa del Rey" Cups, 1 Spanish Super Cup and 2 UEFA...
and lost 0–4.
McClaren's five year tenure on Teesside
Teesside
Teesside is the name given to the conurbation in the north east of England made up of the towns of Middlesbrough, Stockton-on-Tees, Redcar, Billingham and surrounding settlements near the River Tees. It was also the name of a local government district between 1968 and 1974—the County Borough of...
saw him establish himself as Middlesbrough's most successful manager as he made the often difficult transition from coach to manager. He was also the most successful English manager of the early 21st century; he was the first Englishman to win a major honour since 1996 and first to reach the UEFA Cup final since 1984. However, many Boro fans were indifferent about his departure believing Steve Gibson, the club chairman, to be more important to their success. McClaren was accused by rival managers as having a "pot of gold" provided by Gibson to buy players, giving him an advantage over other teams when signing players. Despite this, towards the latter end of his tenure McClaren was criticised by supporters of using negative tactics and earning Middlesbrough the tag of a "dull" side. Some observers attributed Middlesbrough's success to the senior, experienced players in the side rather than McClaren's managerial ability.
England
After Eriksson announced in January 2006 that he would leave as England manager after the 2006 World Cup finals2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...
McClaren was placed on the Football Association
The Football Association
The Football Association, also known as simply The FA, is the governing body of football in England, and the Crown Dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. It was formed in 1863, and is the oldest national football association...
's shortlist to succeed him alongside Sam Allardyce
Sam Allardyce
Samuel "Sam" Allardyce , nicknamed "Big Sam", is an English football manager and former professional player. In June 2011 he was appointed as manager of West Ham United....
, Alan Curbishley
Alan Curbishley
Llewellyn Charles "Alan" Curbishley is an English football manager and former professional player....
, Martin O'Neill
Martin O'Neill
Martin Hugh Michael O'Neill, OBE, is a Northern Irish football manager and former player.Until resigning the post on 9 August 2010, he was manager of Aston Villa. Starting his career in his native Northern Ireland, O'Neill moved to England where he spent most of his playing career with Nottingham...
and Luiz Felipe Scolari
Luiz Felipe Scolari
Luiz Felipe Scolari , ComIH , also known as Felipão in Brazil and Phil Scolari in the United Kingdom, is a World Cup-winning Brazilian football manager. He is currently the manager of Palmeiras. He served as the manager of the Portuguese national team from July 12, 2003 to June 30, 2008...
. The FA first offered the position to Scolari, but he rejected the offer claiming that the role would mean excessive media intrusion in his life. McClaren was subsequently announced as Eriksson's successor on 4 May 2006 after signing a four year contract. The nature of his appointment earned him the nickname "Second Choice Steve". The appointment was praised by the likes of Alan Hansen
Alan Hansen
Alan David Hansen is a Scottish former football player and BBC television football pundit. He played as a central defender for Partick Thistle, Liverpool and Scotland...
, Sir Alex Ferguson
Alex Ferguson
Sir Alexander Chapman "Alex" Ferguson, CBE is a Scottish association football manager and former player, currently managing Manchester United, where he has been in charge since 1986...
and Sir Trevor Brooking
Trevor Brooking
Sir Trevor David Brooking CBE is a football player turned manager, on-air analyst, and administrator.Brooking attended Ripple Infants School and left Ilford County High School with 11 O-levels and 2 A-levels....
. However, the majority of England fans on the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
's 6-0-6
6-0-6
6-0-6 is a football phone-in, broadcast on BBC Radio Five Live throughout the football season; when the programme started, it typically went on air at 6:06pm on a matchday . It covers topics relating to the current affairs of football in the United Kingdom. It currently airs on Saturdays and...
messageboards
Internet forum
An Internet forum, or message board, is an online discussion site where people can hold conversations in the form of posted messages. They differ from chat rooms in that messages are at least temporarily archived...
were dissatisfied with the FA's choice. McClaren assumed control of the national team on 1 August 2006. He chose popular former England coach Terry Venables
Terry Venables
Terence Frederick "Terry" Venables , often referred to as "El Tel", is a former football player and manager, as well as being a media pundit. During the 1960s and 70s, he played for various clubs including Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur and Queens Park Rangers, and gained two caps for England...
as his assistant, a move seen by some as an attempt to try and counter the lack of enthusiasm for McClaren. He also hired public relations
Public relations
Public relations is the actions of a corporation, store, government, individual, etc., in promoting goodwill between itself and the public, the community, employees, customers, etc....
guru Max Clifford
Max Clifford
Maxwell Frank Clifford is an English publicist, considered the highest-profile and best-known publicist in the United Kingdom...
to manage his relationship with the media
Media of the United Kingdom
Media of the United Kingdom consist of several different types of communications media: television, radio, newspapers, magazines, and Internet-based Web sites. The UK also has a strong music industry. The UK has a diverse range of providers, the most prominent being principle public service...
.
McClaren's first decision was to choose the new England captain. He decided to give the arm band to John Terry
John Terry
John George Terry is an English professional footballer. Terry plays in a centre back position and is the captain of Chelsea in the Premier League...
, the Chelsea defender and captain who at the time had 24 England caps, saying "I'm convinced he will prove to be one of the best captains England has ever had." In his first squad, McClaren dropped many of the national team's older players including Sol Campbell
Sol Campbell
Sulzeer Jeremiah "Sol" Campbell is an English footballer who is currently a free agent. A central defender, Campbell has played for Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal, Portsmouth, Notts County and Newcastle United, as well as the English national team.Born in East London to Jamaican parents, Campbell's...
, David James
David James (footballer)
David Benjamin James is an English footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Bristol City.On 14 February 2009, he achieved the all-time Premier League appearance record with 536 appearances, overtaking Gary Speed. He held this record until being overtaken by Ryan Giggs on the 14th May 2011...
and former captain David Beckham
David Beckham
David Robert Joseph Beckham, OBE is an English footballer who plays midfield for Los Angeles Galaxy in Major League Soccer, having previously played for Manchester United, Preston North End, Real Madrid, and A.C...
, saying he was planning for "a different direction." However, McClaren stated that there was still a chance that Beckham could be recalled in the future. McClaren was blessed with a relatively weak European Championship qualifying group from which to qualify, which with the exception of Croatia and Russia, was a group England were expected to win outright. After initially starting well with three wins, England hit a poor run of form between October 2006 and March 2007 with only one goal scored in five matches. During a European qualifier match against minnows
European microstates
The European microstates or ministates are a set of very small states in Europe. While Andorra, Liechtenstein, Malta, Monaco, San Marino, and Vatican City are usually included, Luxembourg and Cyprus share certain features as well...
Andorra
Andorra national football team
The Andorra national football team represents Andorra in association football and is controlled by the Andorran Football Federation, the governing body for football in Andorra. The team has enjoyed very little success due to the Principality's tiny population, the fourth smallest of any UEFA...
in March 2007, McClaren and the England team received abuse from supporters during a poor performance in a 3–0 win. McClaren walked out of the post-match press conference following the Andorra game after only two minutes of questions, saying, "Gentlemen, if you want to write whatever you want to write, you can write it because that is all I am going to say. Thank you." England had fallen to fourth in their qualification group.
In May 2007, McClaren made a U-turn by recalling Beckham into the England squad. England subsequently had a run of four wins from six matches, which boosted the country's hopes of qualification for Euro 2008 before a defeat against Russia
Russia national football team
The Russia national football team represents Russia in association football and is controlled by the Russian Football Union , the governing body for football in Russia. Russia's home grounds are Luzhniki Stadium, Lokomotiv Stadium , and Petrovsky Stadium in St.Petersburg and their head coach is...
in October 2007, causing England's qualification fate to fall out of their hands. The FA's chief executive, Brian Barwick
Brian Barwick
Brian Barwick is an English football administrator and the former chief executive of The Football Association having held the post from January 2005 to December 2008. He previously worked with the BBC and ITV. He is a known supporter of Liverpool F.C...
, gave his backing to McClaren, despite the defeat. McClaren was also backed by players Phil Neville and Steven Gerrard
Steven Gerrard
Steven George Gerrard MBE is an English footballer who plays for and captains Premier League club Liverpool. He also has 89 caps for the England national team. He has played much of his career in a centre midfielder role, but he has also been used as a second striker and right winger...
, his predecessor Eriksson, and the chief executive of the League Managers Association
League Managers Association
The League Managers Association is the organisation which collectively represents all Premiership and Football League managers in English football...
John Barnwell
John Barnwell
John Barnwell is an English former football player and manager. He was until recently the chief executive of the League Managers Association....
.
The results of other matches in England's qualification group meant that England would qualify if undefeated in their final group match against Croatia
Croatia national football team
The Croatia national football team represents Croatia in international football. The team is controlled by the Croatian Football Federation, the governing body for football in the country, and has been managed since 2006 by former player Slaven Bilić...
. The match was played at Wembley on 21 November 2007 and England lost 3–2; coupled with Russia's
Russia national football team
The Russia national football team represents Russia in association football and is controlled by the Russian Football Union , the governing body for football in Russia. Russia's home grounds are Luzhniki Stadium, Lokomotiv Stadium , and Petrovsky Stadium in St.Petersburg and their head coach is...
victory over Andorra
Andorra national football team
The Andorra national football team represents Andorra in association football and is controlled by the Andorran Football Federation, the governing body for football in Andorra. The team has enjoyed very little success due to the Principality's tiny population, the fourth smallest of any UEFA...
, this meant that England would not be at Euro 2008. It was the first time in 14 years that England had not qualified for a major tournament, and the first time in 24 years that they had not qualified for the European Championships.
The following day, the FA held an emergency meeting at which McClaren was removed from the post of England coach along with his assistant manager Terry Venables
Terry Venables
Terence Frederick "Terry" Venables , often referred to as "El Tel", is a former football player and manager, as well as being a media pundit. During the 1960s and 70s, he played for various clubs including Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur and Queens Park Rangers, and gained two caps for England...
. McClaren's tenure was the shortest of any England manager to date, spanning just 18 games in 16 months. On 14 December 2007, it was announced his post had been taken up by Fabio Capello
Fabio Capello
Fabio Capello is an Italian football manager and former player. He is the manager of the England national football team.Capello has the distinction of winning the domestic league title with every club he has coached throughout his career...
commencing from 7 January 2008.
After England
McClaren announced in February 2008 he would consider managing in either the ChampionshipFootball League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
or abroad in his next job. In May 2008, McClaren had a brief spell coaching then League Two
Football League Two
Football League Two is the third-highest division of The Football League and fourth-highest division overall in the English football league system....
side Darlington
Darlington F.C.
Darlington Football Club is a professional association football club based in Darlington, County Durham, currently playing in the Conference National. The club was founded in 1883, and originally played its games at Feethams, before moving to the Darlington Arena in 2003...
, assisting his former Oxford United team-mate Dave Penney.
In April 2008, the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
announced McClaren would join them as a pundit for Euro 2008, working as analyst and co-commentator for BBC Radio 5 Live
BBC Radio 5 Live
BBC Radio 5 Live is the BBC's national radio service that specialises in live BBC News, phone-ins, and sports commentaries...
, alongside Alan Green, one of his harshest critics as England manager. The decision to employ McClaren as an 'expert analyst' was met with much criticism, notably from former BBC pundit Ian Wright
Ian Wright
Ian Edward Wright, MBE is a retired English footballer turned television and radio personality.Wright enjoyed success with London clubs Crystal Palace and Arsenal, spending six years with the former and seven years with the latter. With Arsenal he has lifted the Premier League title and both major...
. McClaren's first commentary game was Austria
Austria national football team
The Austria national football team is the association football team that represents the country of Austria in international competition and is controlled by the Austrian Football Association ....
v Croatia
Croatia national football team
The Croatia national football team represents Croatia in international football. The team is controlled by the Croatian Football Federation, the governing body for football in the country, and has been managed since 2006 by former player Slaven Bilić...
on 8 June 2008, Croatia having been the team chiefly responsible for England's non-qualification for the tournament, having beaten England twice in qualifying.
Twente
In May 2008, McClaren was linked with a return to football as manager of the Dutch side TwenteFC Twente
FC Twente is a Dutch professional football club from the city of Enschede, playing in the Eredivisie. The club was formed in 1965 by the merger of 1926 Eredivisie Champions, Sportclub Enschede and Enschedese Boys...
. He was in the crowd for a match against Ajax on 18 May 2008, seeing Twente qualify for the UEFA Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
. In response to speculation, a Twente spokesman initially stated that the club had no intention of hiring McClaren. However, later that month it was reported McClaren had held talks with Twente Chairman Joop Munsterman and had toured the club, despite question marks from some Twente fans to his possible appointment. When he was initially offered the Twente managerial job, McClaren turned it down due to private issues and on 7 June 2008 he expressed an interest in the vacant managerial role at Blackburn Rovers
Blackburn Rovers F.C.
Blackburn Rovers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the town of Blackburn, Lancashire. The team currently competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football....
. However, on 20 June 2008 he was confirmed as the new manager of Twente.
McClaren made a good start to the 2008–09 season. The club went on to secure second place in the Dutch league behind winners AZ Alkmaar, reached the final of the Dutch Cup (losing on penalties to SC Heerenveen) and on the European front, the club survived group stages in the UEFA Cup, having beaten amongst others Racing Santander and Schalke 04, managed by McClaren's predecessor at Twente Fred Rutten. It was the first time in 30 years that the club had remained in European competition beyond winter. Twente were eventually knocked out on penalties in the Round of 32 by Marseilles
Olympique de Marseille
Olympique de Marseille is a French association football club based in Marseille. Founded in 1899, the club plays in Ligue 1 and have spent most of its history in the top tier of French football. Marseille have been French champions nine times and have won the Coupe de France a record ten times. In...
.
At the start of the 2009–10 campaign
2009–10 Eredivisie
-Personnel and sponsoring:-Managerial changes:-League table:-Results:...
, McClaren's second season at FC Twente, there were question-marks over how well newcomers Bryan Ruiz
Bryan Ruiz
Bryan Ruiz González , commonly known as Bryan Ruiz is a Costa Rican footballer who plays for Fulham in the Premier League. He is an attacking all-rounder, with good ball control, heading and passing....
and Miroslav Stoch
Miroslav Stoch
Miroslav Stoch is a Slovak international footballer who currently plays as an Winger for the Turkish football club Fenerbahçe in the Süper Lig.-Early life and career:...
would be able to replace the departed Eljero Elia
Eljero Elia
Eljero George Rinaldo Elia is a Dutch footballer who currently plays for Italian Serie A club Juventus and the Dutch national team. He scored on his debut for the Dutch national team in September 2009 and participated at the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.-ADO Den Haag:Before excelling in the...
and Marko Arnautović
Marko Arnautovic
Marko Arnautović is an Austrian footballer, who is playing for SV Werder Bremen.- Background :Arnautović was born in Floridsdorf, a district in the northern part of Vienna...
, who had been at the core of Twente's second place finish in the league the preceding year. However, McClaren led the team to some impressive results, with Twente reaching the top of the league in October and remaining top throughout the next few months. FC Twente, which had never won a Eredivisie title in its history, continued to top the league in the latter part of the season, holding off the likes of renowned competitors PSV and Ajax, and seriously emerged as title favourites. They also reached the first knockout round of the inaugural Europa League, where they were defeated by SV Werder Bremen
SV Werder Bremen
SV Werder Bremen is a German sports club best known for its association football team playing in Bremen, in the northwest German federal state of the same name. The club was founded on 4 February 1899 as Fußballverein Werder by a group of sixteen vocational high school students who had won a prize...
. McClaren signed a one year extension to his contract in October 2009.
On 2 May 2010, FC Twente were crowned champions for the first time in their history after a 2–0 win away to NAC Breda. On winning the Eredivisie, McClaren became the first Englishman to manage a team to a top-level domestic league title since Bobby Robson
Bobby Robson
Sir Robert William "Bobby" Robson, CBE was an English footballer and manager, who coached seven European clubs and the England national team during his career....
with F. C. Porto in 1996 (Robson also won the Dutch title with PSV Eindhoven in 1991 and 1992). Robson had in fact been a major influence in McClaren's decision to go to Holland. According to McClaren, "The relationship I had with Bobby was very special. He was a good friend and was of big influence on my decision to join FC Twente. I'd like to think that he'll be watching from a cloud up above and wishes us the best as we play the last game in the league against NAC". Twente won 16 of 17 home matches in the Eredivisie league that season and lost just two away. Twente withstood immense pressure from Martin Jol
Martin Jol
Maarten Cornelis "Martin" Jol is a Dutch football manager and former midfielder who currently manages Fulham in the Premier League. Jol played over 400 games during his career which included spells in the Netherlands, Germany, and England, as well as earning three caps with the Dutch national team...
's Ajax (who won their last 14 games in a row and had a goal difference of +86, more than double Twente's +40) during the second half of the season and trumped the Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
side by one point difference on the last day of the league to claim the title. Upon winning the championship, McClaren stated "Winning the Carling Cup with Middlesbrough was special but this is pretty much right up at the top of anything I've ever done. To win a championship in a foreign country with foreign coaches, I think it's made me stronger."
At the end of the season, McClaren was awarded the Rinus Michels Award
Rinus Michels Award
The Rinus Michels Award is an annual prize in Dutch football. It is supported by the official football coaches union...
for Dutch manager of the season.
Wolfsburg
Despite winning the Dutch league with Twente, McClaren left the Dutch champions on 11 May 2010 to take over as manager of BundesligaFußball-Bundesliga
The Fußball-Bundesliga is a professional association football league in Germany. At the top of Germany's football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. It is contested by 18 teams and operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the 2. Bundesliga...
side Wolfsburg
VfL Wolfsburg
VfL Wolfsburg is a professional German association football club based in Wolfsburg, Lower Saxony, who play in the Bundesliga football competition. Wolfsburg have won the Bundesliga once in their history, in the 2008–09 season, and were DFB-Pokal runners-up in 1995. The current head coach is Felix...
, making him the first Englishman to manage a German top flight football club. Wolfsburg lost their first three league matches under McClaren – including a 2–1 injury time away loss to Bayern Munich
FC Bayern Munich
FC Bayern Munich , is a German sports club based in Munich, Bavaria. It is best known for its professional football team, which is the most successful football club in Germany, having won 22 national titles and 15 cups....
on the opening day of the season, followed by a 4–3 home loss to Mainz
1. FSV Mainz 05
1. Fußball- und Sportverein Mainz 05 e. V., usually shortened to 1. FSV Mainz 05, Mainz 05, or simply Mainz, is a 1905 founded German association football club based in Mainz, Rhineland-Palatinate. In addition to the football section the 1. FSV Mainz 05 has a handball and table tennis department...
having led 3–0 after thirty minutes – but got off the mark with a 2–0 home win against Hannover
Hannover 96
Hannoverscher Sportverein von 1896, commonly referred to as Hannover 96, Hannover or simply 96, is a German association football club based in the city of Hanover, Lower Saxony.-Foundation to WWII:...
. Wolfsburg then won their next two matches convincingly to rise to sixth in the table.
Despite struggling in the league, on 23 December 2010 VfL Wolfsburg
VfL Wolfsburg
VfL Wolfsburg is a professional German association football club based in Wolfsburg, Lower Saxony, who play in the Bundesliga football competition. Wolfsburg have won the Bundesliga once in their history, in the 2008–09 season, and were DFB-Pokal runners-up in 1995. The current head coach is Felix...
publicly showed a vote of confidence in McClaren. However, due to further poor results, on 7 February 2011 the board decided to sack McClaren with immediate effect.
Nottingham Forest
McClaren succeeded Billy Davies as manager of Nottingham Forest on 13 June 2011. After Forest only won eight points from his first 10 league games in charge, McClaren resigned as manager, citing the club's refusal to sign two Premier League players on loan deals.Honours
As player- Derby County
- Football League Second DivisionFootball League Second DivisionFrom 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams...
(1)
- Football League Second Division
- 1986–87NEWLIN
As assistant manager
- Manchester United
- Premier League (3)
- 1998–99, 1999–2000, 2000–01
- UEFA Champions League
UEFA Champions LeagueThe UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
(1): 1998–991999 UEFA Champions League FinalThe 1999 UEFA Champions League Final was a football match that took place on Wednesday, 26 May 1999. The match was played at Camp Nou in Barcelona, Spain, to determine the winner of the 1998–99 UEFA Champions League. The final was contested by Manchester United and Bayern Munich...- FA Cup
NEWLINFA CupThe Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
(1): 1998–991999 FA Cup FinalThe 1999 FA Cup Final took place on 22 May 1999 and was played at the old Wembley Stadium. It was contested between Manchester United and Newcastle United. Manchester United had finished as champions and Newcastle 13th in the Premier League that season. The Final was a one-sided affair, Manchester... - UEFA Champions League
As manager
- Middlesbrough
- Football League CupFootball League CupThe Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
(1)
- Football League Cup
- 2003–042004 Football League Cup FinalThe 2004 Football League Cup Final was played between Bolton Wanderers and Middlesbrough at the Millennium Stadium on 29 February 2004. Middlesbrough won the game 2-1 to clinch their first major trophy...
NEWLIN
- Twente
- EredivisieEredivisieThe Eredivisie is the highest football league in the Netherlands. The league was founded in 1956 two years after the start of professional football in the Netherlands. It is currently ranked the ninth best league in Europe by UEFA....
(1)
- Eredivisie
- 2009–102009–10 Eredivisie-Personnel and sponsoring:-Managerial changes:-League table:-Results:...
NEWLIN
Managerial
| eam | at | rom | o | Record | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | W | D | L | Win % | ||||
| Middlesbrough Middlesbrough F.C. Middlesbrough Football Club , also known as Boro, are an English football club based in Middlesbrough, who play in the Football League Championship. Formed in 1876, they have played at the Riverside Stadium since August 1995, their third ground since turning professional in 1889... |
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12 Jun 2001 | 11 May 2006 |
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| England England national football team The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first... |
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1 Aug 2006 | 22 Nov 2007 |
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| Twente FC Twente FC Twente is a Dutch professional football club from the city of Enschede, playing in the Eredivisie. The club was formed in 1965 by the merger of 1926 Eredivisie Champions, Sportclub Enschede and Enschedese Boys... |
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20 Jun 2008 | 30 Jun 2010 |
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| Wolfsburg VfL Wolfsburg VfL Wolfsburg is a professional German association football club based in Wolfsburg, Lower Saxony, who play in the Bundesliga football competition. Wolfsburg have won the Bundesliga once in their history, in the 2008–09 season, and were DFB-Pokal runners-up in 1995. The current head coach is Felix... |
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1 Jul 2010 | 7 Feb 2011 |
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| Nottingham Forest Nottingham Forest F.C. Nottingham Forest Football Club is an English Association Football club based in West Bridgford, Nottingham, that plays in the Football League Championship... |
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13 Jun 2011 | 2 Oct 2011 |
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| Total |
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