Samuel Luckhurst has reported that Steve McClaren’s return back to Manchester United as first-team coach “has been warmly greeted and sources close to the players have said that they ‘love’ his presence”, Luckhurst wrote in the Manchester Evening News.
🚨🚨| Steve McClaren's return to Carrington has been warmly greeted and sources close to players say they “love” his presence. [@samuelluckhurst]
— centredevils. (@centredevils) December 5, 2022
McClaren made his return to United in the summer to become a first-team coach under Erik ten Hag, who worked with McClaren when the Dutchman was assistant to McClaren at FC Twente and the pair helped The Tukkers Pride of the East The Reds win the Erdevise in the 2009-10 season.
Welcome back to @manutd, Steve McClaren… pic.twitter.com/6b1fgGkAd2
— Sam Homewood (@SamHomewood) May 23, 2022
The former Derby manager was the United assistant coach during the treble winning-season after he replaced then-assistant manager Brian Kidd, who went on to take the managerial vacancy at Blackburn. McClaren spent two years at United and played a pivotal part in helping United win the Premier League, FA Cup and the UEFA Champions League as a key member of the coaching staff and after helping the legendary Sir Alex Ferguson and his team, he is hoping to pass on his words of wisdom and wealth of coaching experience to ten Hag and the current United players.
Speaking to the official club media channel back in July [manutd.com], ten Hag spoke about the importance of his former manager, Steve McClaren by saying that his know-how of the club and its culture would be important to him as he looks to get to grips of the challenge of managing one of the biggest clubs in the world.
“Of course, and that is also a part of the reason I really wanted him. Of course, he has other competences and capabilities but the fact that he knows the club, I think, is a big advantage for us. Although it was a long time ago, he still knows the culture of Manchester United”, ten Hag told MUTV.
Ten Hag also detailed that this was not one of the only reasons as to why he considered bringing back McClaren as in his in-house interview with MUTV, he explained that McClaren’s coaching credentials should not be underestimated as in Ten Hag’s words “he is a coach from the moment he was born”.
The report from Luckhurst in the MEN stating that the players are enjoying McClaren being around Carrington is not a surprise because this was also backed up by previous United players, who worked under the 61 year-old, and described his training sessions as “fun, innovative and purposeful”.
Players also claimed that his sessions were one of the best they had seen from an assistant coach and it is no surprise that the current crop are benefiting from the Englishman’s coaching sessions this season.
The mood around Carrington has ought to have improved from last season according to Luckhurst [MEN] as there is more of a harmonious atmosphere around the club, which is a positive sign because that fighting spirit and togetherness will be needed when United need to get over the line in important games.
