FORMER England boss Steve McClaren was today named as the new manager of Dutch club FC Twente.
The 47-year-old Yorkshireman has signed a two-year deal to replace Fred Rutten at the Grolsch Veste Stadium, and one of his first tasks will be to lead the club into the third Champions League qualifying round.
McClaren has been out of work sinc
e leaving the England job last November following their failure to qualify for the finals of Euro 2008.
He was closely linked with the vacant post at Blackburn in the wake of Mark Hughes' move to Manchester City but, after several weeks of talks with Twente president Joop Munsterman, he has decided to relaunch his career on the continent. McClaren said: "
It will be a huge challenge for me to work in the Dutch league and in the Champions League with FC Twente, but I am excited by the prospect and believe we are feeling positive."
McClaren made his name in club management at Middlesbrough after serving as Sir Alex Ferguson's No.2 at Manchester United. He brought Boro the 2004 Carling Cup and two European campaigns, the second of which took them to UEFA Cup final in 2006, where they were beaten by Sevilla in Eindhoven.
McClaren added: "Sir Bobby Robson, no less, has already told me that I will love this great challenge in Holland, and that FC Twente is a fine club, a friendly club, and I will thoroughly enjoy my stay here. It is great to be back in club management and doing a job that I love, and it is a challenge that I relish."
Munsterman said: "We have searched for a long time to find the successor for trainer Rutten, but we have not been nervous.
With Steve McClaren, the feeling was good from both sides."
The full article contains 315 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
