Derby County manager, Steve McClaren, has ruled himself out of the running for the vacant managerial position at Premier League Newcastle United, saying “I’m going nowhere”.
The 53 year old was the bookies favourite to become the new Newcastle boss after Alan Pardew left them to join fellow Premier League outfit Crystal Palace, following the sacking of former manager Neil Warnock.
The Rams boss told the Derby Telegraph:
“Sam Rush spoke to me about three times last week and I said to him then, ‘look, don’t worry, I am going nowhere’.”
He went on to say:
“I have got a job to do here. I don’t want to let people down here. You’ve got to show loyalty. […] Derby have given me a great opportunity. They have backed me and Sam and the owners have been fantastic.”
The former England boss was appointed as Rams manager in September of 2013 following the sacking of Nigel Clough, now the boss of Sheffield United. He has had an extensive playing career which saw him appear nearly 200 times for Hull City. As a manager, he served Middlesbrough the longest after being in charge between 2001 and 2006.
When talking about Derby, the former midfielder said:
“I love it here. […] I don’t want to let people down on that. The supporters have been fantastic with me from day one. […] There is nothing in my mind that says I am going anywhere.”
*photo courtesy of http://bbc.in/1ABMBBf
