Middlesbrough

Before joining Middlesbrough, Steve McClaren, was courted by a few premiership clubs and was “within two hours of going to West Ham”. Contact from a ‘journalist friend’ alerted him to Middlesbrough’s interest and within two hours he was talking to the chairman, Steve Gibson, and agreeing to manage the club.

He explains, “No disrespect to West Ham, but Alex Ferguson had advised me, ‘don’t choose the club but choose the chairman”

Gibson & McClaren shared the same philosophy and Steve felt he would be given the same unstinting support that the previous manager, Bryan Robson, had enjoyed. His task was to bring success to a club not only starved of it for 128 years, but whose fans had, ironically, voted their ‘Team of the Century’ the one relegated in 1997!

His first acts were to appoint his own management team, to acquire a key player in Gareth Southgate and make sure that no young players at Middlesbrough ever got “lost in the system”.

On Southgate he says “Manchester United had Roy Keane, which was vitally important for them...I needed someone (at Middlesbrough ) of a similar stature. Like Keane epitomised Sir Alex Ferguson I wanted someone who epitomised my style and the way I wanted the game to be played.”

Playing the game that way brought the Carling Cup and European football to Middlesbrough in 2004.

Steve McClaren was also an influential figure in the England set up again, encouraged to do so by Steve Gibson, underlying the wisdom behind Ferguson ’s advice.

The Future

Steve McClaren is now is linked to the England manager’s position by the media, but it is not an assumption he will lay claim to. In fact he becomes animated when he expresses how he enjoys his coaching links with the National team. As Middlesbrough manager, Steve explains, he must distance himself somewhat from the players. On England duty, as coach, he can get closer to individuals in the squad and Steve McClaren clearly relishes that relationship and says that “I will be happy to continue in that role as long as I am wanted.”

A question on stress and relaxation brings a wry smile to his face and a joke on nearing retirement. He has three boys, the oldest of which is seventeen, and he clearly spends his spare time with his family at his home in nearby Yarm.

With Steve McClaren, however, the status quo is never an option. How long will it be before his journalist friend rings him again and he finds out that he is “in the right place at the right time”?

Carpe Diem!

Lawrie Hill