10 Key Reasons Why Newcastle Have Chosen Steve McClaren
9. His Reputation For Developing Young Players
Most notably during five years at Middlesbrough and more recently with Derby, McClaren has cultivated an impressive reputation of nurturing and developing academy prospects into fully-fledged first team players.
Adam Johnson, Stewart Downing, Chris Brunt and James Morrison all graduated from the academy at Middlesbrough, thriving under McClaren's watch, and are now established Premier League and international players.
Add England under-21 midfielder Will Hughes to the list as another who has blossomed as result of his guidance at Derby, and it illustrates his enthusiasm for working with younger players.
Newcastle's concerns at the number of academy prospects failing to make the grade have escalated in recent seasons, but McClaren could be the light at the end of that very dark tunnel.
Derby County's head of football operations Chris Evans can certainly vouch for transformative impact McClaren had on the Rams' academy, describing him as one of the 'best coaches in the country' in an interview with the Premier League's official website at the beginning of March.
"We think if we get a young player in, and Steve works with him on the training field for a few months, he will improve," Evans said. "I've seen that with Patrick Bamford, George Thorne, Andre Wisdom, Jordon Ibe."
"That's what sets him apart. As a coach and as a person, with his ability to bring the best out of a young player, Steve is as good as it gets. He has got a track record at the highest level."
It's no secret that Newcastle's youth setup has stagnated in recent years and is in dire need of fresh ideas and imputes.
McClaren is clearly viewed as the ideal coach to begin the process of reinvigorating an academy that once produced players like Paul Gascoigne, Chris Waddle and Peter Beardsley, with the development of young players expected to be a significant part of his remit.