Footbal: Steve McClaren gets England top job

A Reuters story by Trevor Huggins at www.reuters.com

 LONDON, May 4 (Reuters) - Steve McClaren will be the next England manager, the Football Association said on Thursday.

The Middlesbrough manager will take over when Sven-Goran Eriksson steps down after the World Cup finals in Germany.

McClaren's appointment comes six days after Luiz Felipe Scolari, the FA's first choice to succeed Eriksson, pulled out of the running because of media intrusion. McClaren was 45 on Wednesday and is currently Eriksson's assistant.

After an undistinguished playing career as a midfielder, McClaren began coaching in the early 1990s at Oxford United.

He moved on to Derby County where he worked under experienced manager Jim Smith and helped the club win promotion to the Premier League in 1996.

McClaren, his reputation growing fast, was then lured to Manchester United as Alex Ferguson's deputy and helped the club win the treble of European Cup, Premier League and FA Cup in 1999.

While at United, following Kevin Keegan's resignation as England manager in 2000, McClaren joined forces with Peter Taylor in temporary charge of the national team.

In March 2001, United refused to allow him to continue with England and later that year he was appointed Middlesbrough's manager in succession to Bryan Robson.

McClaren gave Boro a prolonged period of stability and in 2004 he enjoyed a double boost, returning to the England ranks to assist Eriksson and steering Middlesbrough to success in the League Cup, their first major trophy in 128 years.

"I have always said he's an extremely good coach and he has always done an extremely good job for us," Eriksson said on Wednesday.

McClaren's status was further enhanced when Middlesbrough finished seventh in the league last year, their best finish since 1951 and securing a second successive season in Europe.

This season has been a rollercoaster for McClaren.

A host of injuries to key players and a 7-0 defeat at Arsenal in mid-January left him at rock bottom and one fan tore up his season ticket and threw it at the manager during a 4-0 home defeat by Aston Villa.

But a 3-0 win over champions Chelsea sparked a spectacular revival in fortunes and the club reached the FA Cup semi-finals and next week's UEFA Cup final against Sevilla.

Boro looked dead and buried early in the second legs of both their quarter- and semi-final in the UEFA Cup before McClaren substituted defenders with attackers, and they produced four-goal comebacks in both games to edge through.

Eriksson, the first foreigner to coach the England team, took charge in January 2001 after leading Lazio to the Italian league and cup double the previous year.

McClaren secured the top job after seeing off English coaches Sam Allardyce and Alan Curbishley, plus Northern Irishman Martin O'Neill.


© Reuters 2006

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