McClaren takes over at Forest

Soccer:Former England manager Steve McClaren was today named by Nottingham Forest as their new boss. McClaren has signed a three-year contract at the City Ground and takes over from Billy Davies, who was sacked yesterday.

McClaren, recently linked with the vacancy at Aston Villa, returns to club management in England - having previously been with Middlesbrough - after time in Holland and Germany with FC Twente and Wolfsburg.

McClaren (50) was sacked as England manager by the Football Association following his team's failure to qualify for Euro 2008.

Forest believe he can lead them back into the Premier League. They were relegated in 1999 and have been unable to claw their way back, with their spell in the Football League including three seasons in League One from 2005 to 2008.

Forest chief executive Mark Arthur pointed to McClaren's track record in club management as the reason for his appointment.

Arthur said on Forest's official website: "The club moved quickly to secure his services as it is rare for a manager and coach of his undoubted calibre to be available.

"Steve has a proven track record of coaching and managing at club level, having played a key role in helping Manchester United secure the Champions League trophy [in 1999], three Premier League titles and an FA Cup; guided Middlesbrough to the League Cup and also to the final of the UEFA Cup and led FC Twente to their first ever Dutch title.

"We are delighted to have him on board at the City Ground."

Yorkshire-born McClaren, who spent the majority of his playing career at Hull and then Derby, became youth and reserve team coach at Oxford after being forced to retire through injury as a player there in 1992.

McClaren went back to Derby to work as manager Jim Smith's assistant in 1995 and the Rams won promotion to the Barclays Premier League, but it was after replacing Brian Kidd as Sir Alex Ferguson's assistant at Old Trafford in 1999 that his reputation began to soar.

United won the Treble later that year and also won the title in 2000 and 2001, while McClaren was appointed as an England coach by caretaker-manager Peter Taylor in October 2000. He remained in that position until after the 2006 World Cup finals.

McClaren accepted the manager's job at Middlesbrough - he had been strongly linked to West Ham and Southampton - in 2001 and steered them into the UEFA Cup in consecutive seasons and was then installed as Sven Goran-Eriksson's successor as England coach in 2006.

It was while in charge of England that McClaren came under pressure in the national media and his role will be best remembered for the country's failure to qualify for the European Championships in 2008.

It was the first time in 14 years that England had not qualified for a major tournament and McClaren was sacked the following day after an emergency FA board meeting.

McClaren emerged as manager of Dutch side FC Twente in May 2010 and steered them to the Dutch Eredivisie title for the first time in the club's history in his first full season in charge.

He was named Dutch manager of the season, but left Twente in May 2010 to take charge of German side Wolfsburg, where he was sacked nine months later due to poor results.