Former ‘Three Lions’ manager Steve McClaren has joined Queens Park Rangers (QPR) as Harry Redknapp’s assistant on the day the club accepted a £12m offer from Anzhi Makhachkala for defender Christopher Samba.
QPR were relegated from the English top tier in May and Redknapp, who has quelled every rumours of a possible exit from Loftus Road, has moved to strengthen his coaching staff by adding McClaren to his back room team.
McClaren, who has been out of work since leaving Dutch side FCTwente in February said: “Whilst it still remain my ambition to manage again this gives me an ideal opportunity to stay involved and work with one of the top managers at a very ambitious club.
“I’ll be doing all I can to help QPR return to the Premier League.”
Redknapp told QPR’s official website he is delighted to have the experienced manager with him at the club.
“I am delighted to have been able to bring Steve in,” Redknapp said.
“Everyone in the game knows what a top coach he is and he’ll add something different to the group, regardless of how long he is with us for.
“I want new ideas, different opinions and another experience head to speak to. That’s what Steve brings.”
McClaren began his coaching career at Derby County before moving to Manchester United and was part of Sir Alex Ferguson’s coaching staff in their historic treble of Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup in 1999.
He led Middlesbrough to their first major honour in his five-year spell at the Riverside, while he also took them to 2006 UEFA Cup final where they were beaten 4-0 by Sevilla.
He became the coach of the English national team after his success at Middlesbrough and led the ‘Three Lions’ to the 2006 Germany World Cup.
He won the Dutch League with FC Twente, but failed to repeat the success during subsequent spell with German club Wolfsburg, Nottingham Forest, and on his return for a second stint at FC Twente.
QPR has agreed a £12m fee to sell defender Chris Samba back to Anzhi Makhachkala.
The west London club bought Samba from the Russian club in January for £12m and Anzhi has now agreed to kindly offer a complete refund.
Samba, 29, signed a four-and-a-half-year deal with Rangers and was reportedly earning wages of about £100,000 a week. He made 10 appearances for the club last season before relegation.
