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Derby County have appointed Real Madrid’s former assistant coach Paul Clement as their new manager on a three year deal.
Clement, 43, takes on his first managerial role after replacing fellow Englishman Steve McClaren at the iPro Stadium who was sacked last month following an 8th placed finish in the Championship.
“Paul is one of the most in-demand coaches in world football,” said Rams chief executive Sam Rush. “I am delighted that he has agreed to join Derby. He is hugely respected, has exceptional relationships throughout football and tremendous coaching experience at some of the very best clubs in Europe.”
Clement, who worked as a PE teacher in Sutton from 1995 to 2000, is from a football family. His father is the former QPR and England full-back Dave, who took his own life at the age of 34, and his brother is the ex-Chelsea and West Bromwich Albion defender Neil.
Clement obtained a UEFA ‘A’ coaching licence in 1999 and became a full-time football coach in 2000, when appointed a role in Fulham’s academy. He also worked under Guus Hiddink at Chelsea after the Dutchman was appointed in 2009 and then was retained by Carlo Ancelotti during the Italian’s two year tenure at Stamford Bridge.
Clement then had a brief spell at Blackburn Rovers assisting Paul Kean, before following Ancelotti to Paris St. Germain, where they won the Ligue 1 title in their second season. He later moved with Ancelotti to Real Madrid in 2013.
Real Madrid won the Copa del Rey and a tenth UEFA Champions League title at the end of his first season with the club. After the team won no trophies in their second season, Ancelotti was sacked on 25 May 2015 and Clement walked out four days later.
On becoming the Rams manager, Clement describe the opportunity as “incredibly exciting” and looking forward to working at a “massive club”.
Rush added “He is the perfect appointment at the next stage of Derby County’s development and we are looking forward to the coming season with a great deal of optimism.”
