Few managers can boast that they were part of the back room staff of a top flight treble winning team. Even fewer can say that they had been assistant manager to the best manager England has ever seen and won three Premier League titles as his assistant before you reach 40 years of age. Steve McLaren can lay claim to all these things but still has a reputation, somewhat, as a unpredictable failure, albeit with undoubted potential. He was also the assistant manager to Jim Smith at Derby County when they were promoted to the Premier League in the 1995-96 season. Despite his record as an assistant, it has been his development as a coach and manager that will be his enduring legacy.
McLaren, who shot to prominence, as the assistant Manager of Manchester United, really made his name as the manager of Middlesborough. He qualified them for Europe for the first time in their history but after four years, the love affair ended, as it so often does. Not only was their form in the league dropping (they finished 14th, 11th, 7th and 14th during his time in charge) he was also branded as being reckless in the transfer market. Reports suggest he spent close to £55 million during his time in the north-east. Bare in mind that this was back when £55 million was a lot of money. Purchases like Mark Viduka and George Boateng worked but players such as Massimo Maccarone and Michael Ricketts did not. Whilst looking back on his time in charge of 'Boro he said "I think, in hindsight, we will look back and say they were great years"
As it transpires, it was the England job that brought McLaren's most famed role and happened to be the source of most his distress during his career. During his time as England boss he played 18 games, won 9, drew 4 and lost 5. He had a 50% success rate which happens to be better than Kevin Keegan, Terry Venables, Graham Taylor and Bobby Robson. However, with qualification for major tournaments seen as a prerequisite, McLaren could not grant England access to Euro 2008 with a 3-2 defeat at the hands of Croatia the final nail in the manager's coffin. McLaren's quote upon getting the job, "I am results-orientated and I'm here to do a job, win matches and make sure England over the next four years win a major trophy", doesn't necessarily work unless you are involved in the trophy winning process, and for this reason McLaren was dismissed as England boss after 16 months in charge.
While McLaren was adamant from the start that he would try to nurture the young talent in the squad, it also became a part of his downfall. He handed the captain's armband to John Terry at the age of just 25 with Steven Gerrard and ex-Captain David Beckham missing out. He subsequently dropped Beckham from the squad before recalling him when things got bad. Terry, at the time, had been captain of Chelsea for two years and had won two Premier League titles, but the failed attempt to guide England into Euro 2008 was always going to see McLaren lose his job. He had noted prior to his appointment that he would have to think about accepting the role as he wasn't sure if he was ready for the kind of intrusion into his private life that came with being English manager.
McLaren then took his talent to the Netherlands and managed Twente to their first Eredivisie title in their history in his second season having finished as runners-up in his rookie season in charge. The damage inflicted on his reputation after the England job needed rebuilding and McLaren decided it best that he build it away from the microscopic eye of the English media, under the advice of Sir Bobby Robson. He noted at the time, "I'm delighted to be back in club management and looking forward to meeting staff and players". Pushed all the way by Ajax who had a goal difference of +86 for the season and did not lose at home, Twente won the title for their sheer stability and consistency. A trait that McLaren has brought with him wherever he has gone, except when he managed England, that is.
Edin Dzeko and Wolfsburg had won the Bundesliga in 2008-09 season and saw current Fulham manager Felix Magath leave for Schalke straight after. The manager who took over from Magath, Armin Veh, was sacked in January and when the Wolves came knocking, McLaren took control of the reins. He was also the first Englishman to be named as a Bundesliga manager. He only won five games out of 21 at Wolfsburg and the board "lost faith" in him after nine months in charge of the German side. The very stability that saw McLaren win a title with Twente and, previously, bring Middlesborough into the upper half of the Premier League had vanished and the board said after his sacking that "We were not convinced that we could have any stability working with Steve McClaren as manager until the end of the season".
After the public bashing he took in 2007 following his dismissal as England manager, through lack of other options or thinking that it was time to return, he was named as the Nottingham Forest manager. McLaren's Forest collected eight points from a possible 30 and he resigned. He did not seek compensation and decided to jump before he was pushed. A noble choice given the fact that Forest sat fourth from bottom of the Championship at the time of his departure.
A brief return to Twente to relive past glories and build up his reputation, perhaps, ended in tears, however. They hadn't won a game in over two months when McLaren left the club and although many reports might say he was sacked, again, he left the club of his own accord. On the day of his departure, he stated, "I leave a proud man. It has brought me one of the greatest days in my career when winning the title in 2010". Trading on past glories perhaps, but he will go down in history as the first man to bring Twente domestic glory in their history, which is no mean feat.
Which brings us to his appointment as Derby County's manager. Brian Clough was released from his position and McLaren was named as his successor after enduring a difficult start to the 2013-14 season. Many say that McLaren is reaping the rewards from the platform set up by Clough, who was just going through a rough patch with his squad. Mclaren took over the team as they sat 14th and guided them to a third-place finish, with his requirements being playoff qualification prior to his appointment. Such a transformation can not be argued with.
If Derby are to reach the Premier League, it will be interesting to see just how McLaren fares in the top tier, given the fact that he hasn't dealt with expectation very well in the past. Players such as Will Hughes could be on the move in the summer with Liverpool sniffing around the exciting prospect and while McLaren's profile as a manager might entice big names to come to Pride Park, he will have to spend any money given to him wisely. There is no secret of how difficult it is to keep a side in the Premiership in a team's first season after promotion and with the increased media attention on McLaren, who is still largely remembered as England's failed National Team manager, many people will be waiting for him to crumble.
The experience gained on the continent with his success at Twente and Failure at Wolfsburg will surely transfer well into the Premier League. Is the time near that McLaren will finally turn his coaching potential into something substantial for a prolonged period of time.