Manchester United & England

I am interested as to how Steve heard from Manchester Utd, in 1999, that they were looking at him to replace Brian Kidd.

He explains that it was while he was having dinner with two journalist friends that they mentioned the possibility. It was not until a couple of weeks later when ‘the big man himself telephoned me, did I believe it”

This is another key opportunity which he eagerly accepts.

His decisions indicate confidence in his own ability and a fierce ambition. He is honest enough to admit, however, that his first training session was special. Faced with a squad of senior internationals it was “taxing, hardworking, nerve-wracking....everything!”

Asked whether he was ‘tested’ by the players he explains that footballers at that level question theories and tactics whilst at a lower level they just accept it. Most importantly he gained Roy Keane’s respect. “He was the man”, says McClaren, “If you had him on board you had them all on board....he was someone every club should have.” This is a theme he returns to when talking about Gareth Southgate.

During that time Manchester Utd achieved great success including the unique ‘treble’ of Championship, FA Cup and Champions League.

At the same time he was stepping closer to the top job in football when he, along with Peter Taylor, was asked to jointly manage England whilst Sven Goran Erikson finished his spell at Lazio. He then became Sven’s assistant for a time until the board at Manchester thought it might be too time consuming.

Ferguson also announced he was to retire in 2002. For a period of time Steve McClaren was tipped as the successor to Sir Alex but then, mysteriously, was no longer in the picture. He claims that it was never a possibility and that he was too young and inexperienced. The truth is however that Manchester United had a long tradition of appointing from within and it would have been a realistic option for him to take on the job. The position is clarified when he says, “I knew, after having worked there, that the politics and everything that is there internally, it was too big a job. I needed to go out there and gain some experience.”

Uncannily, he had made another shrewd decision. Steve McClaren went to Middlesbrough and later Sir Alex changed his mind about resigning.