Former England manager Steve McClaren lands surprise new role after leaving Jamaica | OneFootball

Rotherham have appointed former England manager Steve McClaren as their new head of football, a significant move aimed at revitalising the club following their relegation to Sky Bet League Two.

The vastly experienced 65-year-old, who took over from Sven-Goran Eriksson as Three Lions boss in 2006 before resigning the following year after failing to qualify for Euro 2008, returns to the game after concluding his role as Jamaica’s national team boss in November.

His primary brief will be to spearhead the rebuilding efforts at the Millers, which includes the crucial responsibility of overseeing the appointment of a new manager.

This follows the recent departure of Lee Clark, who left the club earlier this month despite expecting to remain in his position, before subsequently joining non-league club Hartlepool.

McClaren’s appointment comes after a long-standing friendship with Rotherham chairman Tony Stewart, with whom he had previously discussed taking on the manager’s job.

open image in gallery

Steve McClaren left his role as Jamaica manager in November (Getty)

However, he now steps into a more senior position, tasked with "strategic leadership and oversight across our football operations".

Chairman Stewart expressed his enthusiasm for the appointment, stating: "Steve will provide the board with a new voice and a pair of eyes and ears that have seen how clubs ensure that they reach optimal performance at both the top club level and on the international stage."

He added that attracting someone of McClaren’s "calibre hopefully shows to our fans that we are determined to make positive changes following difficult years recently."

Stewart also highlighted that "conversations with Steve have been ongoing for a period of time now which was by design to ensure that both parties had a clear mutual understanding of what the role looks like and where we believe we can progress the football club to."

McClaren’s extensive CV includes a notable stint as Sir Alex Ferguson’s assistant at Manchester United, before he later returned to Old Trafford to work alongside Erik ten Hag.

He famously guided Middlesbrough to League Cup glory in 2004 and the Uefa Cup final two years later, and secured the Dutch Eredivisie title with Twente in 2010, underscoring his vast experience at both club and international levels.