Steve McClaren had eyes on Newcastle job for 15 years
Sunday 18 October 2015 15:42, UK
Steve McClaren says he is determined to make a success of his job at Newcastle - because it is one he has wanted for 15 years.
The 54-year-old, who learnt his trade as a coach under Jim Smith at Derby and Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United, has enjoyed varying degrees of managerial success.
His career has taken him from Middlesbrough to England and via Holland and Germany to Nottingham Forest and back to Derby.
However, he admitted he always had one eye on St James' Park and despite a less than impressive start to his reign on Tyneside, he is desperate to get it right after being granted his wish to work in the Premier League once again.
McClaren said: "Once the England job went, that has always been my kind of focus and drive. I've done that now. I've joined a club which I've wanted to, even for the last 15 years.
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"In some respects, it has been a long journey back and a tough one. But I want to make a success of this football club because it can be big and it can be huge."
After his success at Middlesbrough, where he led the Teessiders to their first major trophy, the 2004 Carling Cup, life became more difficult for McClaren with an ill-fated spell in charge of the England team particularly bruising.
He rejuvenated his reputation abroad, guiding FC Twente to the Dutch title, but failed over two seasons to take Derby back into the Premier League.
Asked if he thought he would ever get the chance to manage a club as big as Newcastle, he said: "Don't get me wrong, after England I had dark days and dark moments and dark spells.
"But I always believed, given the opportunity, I wanted to do that. I certainly felt that the experience abroad was great. I thought we would do it with Derby, but it wasn't to be, so this is a great opportunity."
That opportunity has to date yielded little more than frustration with the Magpies still awaiting a first Premier League win of the campaign as they head into their ninth fixture, Sunday's visit of Norwich.
While that lack of success so far has brought criticism, McClaren has become used to that.
He said: "When you have worked with the national team, you never get bigger batterings than that."
