Rotherham United are exploring a potential appointment that could reshape the club’s structure ahead of next season, with Steve McClaren emerging as a leading candidate for a senior role at the New York Stadium.
Discussions have taken place between chairman Tony Stewart and the 64-year-old, with the position under consideration believed to sit above the traditional manager’s role. That could see McClaren influence key decisions at the club, including the future of current interim boss Lee Clark.
Clark stepped into the dugout for a short spell towards the end of the campaign and is awaiting clarity on whether he will remain in charge beyond the final fixture. With relegation confirmed, the club are under pressure to act quickly as they prepare for life in League Two, and any senior appointment could play a significant role in shaping the rebuild.
McClaren brings a wealth of experience across both club and international football. He previously worked under Alex Ferguson at Manchester United before taking charge of the England national team, as well as managing sides including Middlesbrough, Derby County, Newcastle United and Queens Park Rangers. His most recent role came with Jamaica’s national side, adding further international experience to his CV.
Lincoln City Career
What many do not know is that Steve McClaren played for Lincoln City. His playing career was modest, with permanent spells at Hull City, Derby County, Bristol City and Oxford United. He spent most of his career with Hull, six years, making 176 Football League appearances before his move to Derby.
It was while with the Rams that he turned up at Lincoln. He was an industrious midfielder, and he joined us on loan as we pushed towards a play-off spot in the 1986/87 season. He joined in February 1987 after falling out of favour with the Rams. They’d paid £70,000 for him a year prior (around £200,000 with inflation), and he came into a City side four points outside the play-offs, with two games in hand of Exeter City, who were seventh.
He played eight times, making his debut as we lost 1-0 against Cardiff City. He then featured in defeats against Southend United (1-0), Cambridge United (3-0), Leyton Orient (2-1), Tranmere Rovers (2-0) and Peterborough United (2-1). The only points we picked up during his loan spell were a 2-1 win against Halifax and a 1-1 draw with Rochdale, and by the time he left, we were 18th in the table.
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