Steve McClaren: Derby boss still in charge but future uncertain

McClaren spent three years of his playing career at Derby County

Steve McClaren is still Derby County head coach but his future remains uncertain, BBC Derby Sport reports.

The 54-year-old met chief executive Sam Rush for talks on Thursday and there were rumours McClaren had been sacked.

The meeting had been brought forward following Derby's failure to reach the Championship play-offs and growing unrest at board level about McClaren's link to the manager's job at Newcastle.

McClaren has two years left on his contract, but discussions are ongoing.

The Rams were leading the Championship in late February but won just two of their final 13 games and missed out on the play-offs on the final day of the campaign, when they lost 3-0 at home to Reading.

Rush said the club's end-of-season review should not be too "draconian".

But McClaren's refusal to completely rule out a move to Newcastle when rumours first began upset some board members, including director Mel Morris, who is set to take over from chairman Andy Appleby.

And although McClaren did reject the chance to take over as Magpies manager in May, and said he was "100% committed to Derby", there is a feeling that his refusal to quash the rumours in the first place played a part in the club's poor end-of-season run.

Morris, who was appointed to the club's board last year, is set to be confirmed as the club's new chairman in the coming weeks.

McClaren has previously managed Middlesbrough, England, FC Twente, Wolfsburg and Nottingham Forest.