I’m so glad to swap the Bernabeu for Derby!
PAUL CLEMENT has targeted automatic promotion after leaving Real Madrid to become Derby County’s new head coach. Derby have landed their No 1 target to replace the sacked Steve McClaren, seeing off competition for Clement from Sunderland.
It is a first managerial role for Clement, who has made his name mainly as an assistant to Carlo Ancelotti at Chelsea, Paris Saint- Germain and Real.
The 43-year-old has coached the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale and Zlatan Ibrahimovic, winning the Premier League, French top flight and the Champions League.
Clement said: ‘I have been in a supportive role for a number of years now, one I have enjoyed, but I feel I have the right skills and experience to make those decisions — picking the team and deciding on the tactics — with the responsibility on me as a No 1.
‘I’m incredibly excited to be joining Derby County as head coach and I am looking forward to meeting the players and getting started. Straight away our aim is the top two and there’s no reason why that can’t be achieved.
‘We will need a bit of luck, of course, because it can be difficult with injuries. But with the addition of a couple of players I believe we can fight for the automatic places.’
Clement, who has signed a threeyear deal, comes from a football family. His late father Dave was a full-back for Queens Park Rangers and England, and his brother Neil played more than 250 games for West Bromwich Albion. But Paul was working as a PE teacher in Sutton, Surrey, until 2000.
That was when he started in a part-time coaching role at Chelsea beforeb f movingi t to Fulham’slh ’ acadd emy. He returned to Chelsea in 2007, initially with the youth and reserve sides, before being promoted to the first-team set-up by Guus Hiddink in 2009, going on to win that season’s FA Cup.
The following year he coached the likes of Frank Lampard, Didier Drogba and John Terry as Chelsea won the Double.
After Ancelotti was sacked in 2011, Clement worked briefly as assistant to Steve Kean at Blackburn Rovers before linking up again with the Italian at PSG.
The French title came the following season and in the summer of 2013 Clement followed Ancelotti to Real, who promptly won their 10th European Cup and beat Barcelona to lift the Spanish Cup. Clement, who left Real once Ancelotti was sacked last month, is abroad at the moment but will be unveiled at the iPro Stadium on Thursday.
He has already begun work assessing the squad and chief executive Sam Rush revealed signings could be made as early as next week. Securing Darren Bent and Tom Ince, two loan players last season, on permanent deals is high on a list of priorities. ‘I have been aware of Paul for many years,’ said Rush.
‘He is a very impressive individual, he has great integrity and given all his achievements he is a very humble man.
‘We are delighted he has strong relationships around English and world football. In the Champion- ship you are always looking for a competitive advantage and if you are able to create an environment where top-level players want to come, even if it’s only temporarily, we’ve seen how helpful that can be.
‘He’ll be central to recruitment. We ought to have some new players in place by next week.’
Local businessman and incoming Derby chairman Mel Morris, who made his fortune through mobile phone app Candy Crush, is increasing his influence at the club and has been a strong supporter of appointing Clement.
The futures of assistant manager Paul Simpson and goalkeeping coach Eric Steele are uncertain, and will be decided when Clement arrives in person.