EFL Championship: Former England coach Steve McLaren appointed technical director of struggling Derby

London: Struggling English Championship club Derby on Tuesday announced the appointment of former manager and ex-England boss Steve McClaren as technical director. McClaren, 59, who had two spells as Derby manager, has returned to Pride Park following an agreement between owner Mel Morris and Derventio Holdings, who are set to complete a takeover of the club. “Steve McClaren has agreed a contract to act as an advisor to the board with immediate effect,” said a statement on Derby’s official website. “In this capacity he will assume the role and duties of both advisor and technical director, a position which has been identified by agreement between Mel Morris and Derventio Holdings as important to the future of the club.” Derby chief executive Stephen Pearce said McClaren’s experience would be “invaluable” at the club, rooted at the bottom of the second-tier Championship. McClaren, who was England head coach for 18 months until November 2007, was Derby boss from September 2013 to May 2015 and spent five months in charge during a second spell before being sacked in March 2017. Earlier this month, Derby confirmed a deal had been agreed “in principle” for the sale of the club to Derventio Holdings, which is owned by Sheikh Khaled bin Zayed Al Nehayan, a member of the Abu Dhabi royal family.