Steve McClaren Claims He Was "Never Tempted" By NUFC Job

Newcastle United pleaded with Steve McClaren to come and save their disastrous season before it ended in relegation and the former England manager had been the favourite for the permanent hotseat at St James' Park - yet the Derby County boss has now insisted he was "never tempted" by the job. McClaren has been linked with the role ever since Alan Pardew left Tyneside for Crystal Palace at the turn of the year and the Derby boss has failed to ever adequately distance himself. But loud whispers linking McClaren with the Magpies role became deafening shouts over the weekend as Newcastle succumbed to their eighth-straight defeat under interim head coach John Carver, leaving the club just two points and three places above the relegation zone.

In the panic that ensued in the days following the embarrassing 3-0 defeat at Leicester City, McClaren had his temperature taken to see if he would takeover at St James' Park for the final three games of the Premier League campaign - but the Derby boss refused. However, the 54-year-old has now claimed he has no interest at all in taking over as head coach at Newcastle next season, even if the Magpies remain in the Premier League, and that he is "100%" committed to the Rams.

He also stated that he never had any intention of taking over from Carver this season following Derby's failure to reach the Championship play-offs. Quoted in The Telegraph, McClaren explained:

"I reiterate what I said on Saturday after the game and what I've said to the board and the players - I'm 100% committed to finishing the job here (at Derby). "After the disappointment of the weekend (when Derby failed to get into the play-offs), it's a big job and something that over the next three or four days we are planning to put right. "I hear the speculation, but I'm 100% committed to Derby County at this point."

This statement appears to have been made far too late to dispel any previous beliefs that McClaren never wanted the Newcastle job - with the ex-Middlesbrough manager having had five months to commit himself to remaining at the iPro Stadium. McClaren, who won the League Cup with Boro in 2004 and the Eredivisie title with FC Twente during the 2009-10 season, has been at Derby for close to two seasons now and he will be expected to ensure promotion in the next campaign. For all the latest NUFC News, Views and Transfers make sure to follow WhatCultureNUFC on Twitter and Facebook.