10 Key Reasons Why Newcastle Have Chosen Steve McClaren

Not since the legendary Sir Bobby Robson took Porto to the Portuguese title in 1997 have Newcastle appointed a manager with a League success in a different European country present on their CV. That is no longer the case with McClaren now taking up residency in the manager's office at St James' Park.

His achievements in Holland, where he led unfashionable FC Twente to the Eredivisie Championship for the first time in their 45-year history in 2010, put him back on the managerial map after the debacle with England and earned him the accolade of being the first English coach since Robson to win a League title on foreign soil.

After all, it was Robson who told McClaren to take the job in the first place.

He was awarded the prestigious Rinus Michels Award for Dutch Manager of the Season as a result, before leaving Twente to take over at Wolfsburg in Germany.

But relocating to the Netherlands allowed him to rebuild his career away from the glare of England's merciless media and served as a reminder to his detractors of his talents as a coach. Having held the role of deputy to Jim Smith at Derby and assistant to Sir Alex Ferguson for two seasons at Manchester United, where he won the Treble in 1999, it's without doubt that McClaren has fostered an unbreakable winning mentality which will serve him well at Newcastle in his efforts to win a trophy.