Former England manager Steve McClaren could make shock return to management with international side
Former England boss Steve McClaren could be set to return to full-time management with a new job on the horizon.
Currently working as Erik ten Hag's No.2 at Manchester United, McClaren is a contender for the role as head coach of Nigeria.
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According to Nigerian outlet SoccerNet, the 63-year-old has been spoken to about the vacant role after Finidi George left the position in June.
As well as McClaren, several other candidates are being considered for the role including former Ivory Coast and Zambia AFCON-winning boss Herve Renard and Belgian coach Tom Saintfiet.
McClaren of course has experience managing a national side, coaching England from 2006 to 2007 - a reign that ended abruptly after failing to qualify for Euro 2008.
Nigeria want to have someone in place by September when their AFCON qualification bid gets underway.
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And while McClaren has been spoken to, NFF chiefs have already expressed concerns over the fact that he has not managed in Africa before.
The United coach has not been the main man in the dugout since an 11-month stint in charge of QPR that ended with 16 wins out of 46.
He returned to Old Trafford two years ago to act as Ten Hag's assistant, his second time in the role, having done so under Sir Alex Ferguson in 1999.
The Yorkshireman took his first managerial role in 2001 when he took charge of Middlesbrough, winning the League Cup with them in 2004 before taking them to the UEFA Cup final in 2006.
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After losing to Sevilla in the final, he landed the England job before stints at Dutch side Twente and German outfit Wolfsburg.
He won the Eredivisie with Twente in 2010, their first-ever league title, a year after Ten Hag had left his services having been his assistant.
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In 2011, McClaren returned to English football but not for long - lasting just 13 games in charge of Nottingham Forest before getting sacked with three wins.
He then returned to Twente before two stints with Derby County and a nine-month appointment at Newcastle.