Steve McClaren appointed Rotherham head

Steve McClaren has taken a new senior role at Rotherham United, where the former England manager has been appointed head of football as the club reshapes its structure after relegation to League Two. Rotherham announced the move on Wednesday, saying McClaren would fill a newly created position. The appointment returns the 65-year-old to English club football after his spell as Jamaica head coach and follows his two-year run as Erik ten Hag’s assistant at Manchester United. BBC Sport first reported the move on May 20. ### What job is McClaren actually taking on at Rotherham? Rotherham United said Wednesday that McClaren will serve as head of football, a new role designed to oversee the club’s football operations. The club has recently dropped into League Two, and the appointment comes during a broader reset at board and football level. Tony Stewart, Rotherham’s chairman, said the club had been “hugely impressed” by McClaren’s energy and his plans for change. (themillers.co.uk) Stewart said McClaren would work across the football side of the business rather than as first-team manager, according to reports carrying the club announcement. ### Why does his Manchester United link keep coming up? (themillers.co.uk) Manchester United is central to the way McClaren’s latest move is being framed because he spent two years on Erik ten Hag’s staff at Old Trafford before leaving in 2024. BBC Sport and other reports on the Rotherham appointment highlighted that recent background as part of his credentials for the new post. McClaren also had an earlier spell at Manchester United under Alex Ferguson, but the more immediate reference point is his work under Ten Hag from 2022 until his departure for Jamaica. (sports.yahoo.com) That recent assistant role kept him inside a Premier League coaching setup before his move into international management. ### Where does Jamaica fit into this timeline? (bbc.co.uk) FIFA announced on July 31, 2024 that Jamaica had appointed McClaren as head coach for its World Cup qualifying campaign. In that statement, FIFA said he was leaving a coaching role with Manchester United to take the Jamaica job. Recent coverage of the Rotherham move says McClaren had been out of football since stepping down from Jamaica in November. (fifa.com) That makes the Rotherham appointment his first formal role since leaving the Reggae Boyz setup. ### Why would Rotherham turn to someone with his background? Rotherham is hiring a coach with experience across club and international football. (fifa.com) McClaren has managed England, Middlesbrough, Wolfsburg, Nottingham Forest, Derby County, Newcastle United and Queens Park Rangers, and has also worked in senior assistant roles. Reports on Wednesday said that range of experience was part of the attraction for a club trying to rebuild after relegation. (aol.com) The role also appears to give Rotherham a senior football executive rather than another dugout appointment. Coverage in local and national outlets said McClaren’s first major task will be tied to the club’s search for a new head coach. ### What happens next at Rotherham? Rotherham’s immediate football decision is the appointment of a head coach, with McClaren now in place above that process. (sports.yahoo.com) Reports on Wednesday said he will work with chairman Tony Stewart as the club plans for the 2026-27 League Two season. The club’s own announcement on May 20 made clear that McClaren’s arrival is effective immediately. (msn.com) That means the next public step is likely to be the naming of the coach who will lead Rotherham into the new campaign, with McClaren and Stewart overseeing that search. (themillers.co.uk)