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On this day: Steve McClaren named FC Twente head coach

On this day: Steve McClaren named FC Twente head coach
© Reuters
The former England manager led Twente to the Eredivisie title.

When Steve McClaren took over as manager of FC Twente he followed a not-so well-trodden path of British bosses moving to Holland.

Here, the PA news agency looks at how McClaren and other Brits fared in the land of windmills, tulips and canals.

Steve McClaren

Soccer – UEFA European Championship 2008 Qualifying – Group E – England v Croatia – Wembley Stadium
McClaren moved to Holland after flopping as England manager (Martin Rickett/PA)

Following a chastening 16-month spell in charge of England, culminating in the rain-soaked defeat by Croatia at Wembley in 2007, McClaren was confirmed as the new manager of Twente on June 20, 2008.

Twente enjoyed a fine 2008/09 season, finishing second in the Eredivisie behind AZ and reaching the final of the Dutch Cup, which they lost on penalties to Heerenveen.

Despite losing key players  Eljero Elia and Marko Arnautovic the following summer, McClaren led Twente to the first title in their history, when they were confirmed as champions in May 2010.

McClaren left at the end of the season to join German side Wolfsburg but was sacked in February 2011. He had a second, less successful, spell with Twente and also managed Nottingham Forest, Derby, Newcastle and QPR.

Sir Bobby Robson

Sir Bobby Robson
Sir Bobby Robson won two Eredivisie titles (Gareth Copley/PA)

Another former England boss, Robson had agreed to join PSV Eindhoven before guiding the Three Lions to the semi-finals of the 1990 World Cup.

With his reputation restored amid a heartbreaking penalty shoot-out defeat by West Germany, Robson initially said the move abroad was "a culture shock".

But his handling of the tactical challenges of Dutch football, as well as that of coaching Brazilian maverick Romario, helped Robson guide PSV to the title in 1991 and 1992.

Robson also won league titles at Porto and enjoyed success at Barcelona before returning to boyhood club Newcastle in 1999.

Jimmy Calderwood

Soccer – Clydesdale Bank Scottish Premier League – Celtic v Aberdeen – Celtic Park
Jimmy Calderwood was a popular player and manager in Holland (Chris Clark/PA)

Following eight years with Birmingham,  Scottish midfielder Calderwood spent the second half of his playing career in Holland with Sparta Rotterdam, Willem II, Roda JC and Heracles Almelo.

After retiring as a hugely popular player, Calderwood stayed in the country and coached Willem II and then NEC Nijmegen.

A mid-table finish with NEC prompted Dunfermline to bring Calderwood back to Scotland, where he would also manage Aberdeen, Kilmarnock and Ross County before short-lived spells back in Holland with Go Ahead Eagles and De Graafschap.

Barry Hughes

Ruud Gullit.
Ruud Gullit began his stellar career under Barry Hughes (PA)

Having captained AZ Alkmaar towards the end of his playing career, Welshman Hughes was another who stayed on to coach in his adopted country.

He managed a variety of Dutch clubs including AZ, HFC Haarlem, Go Ahead Eagles, Sparta Rotterdam, FC Utrecht, MVV and FC Volendam.

Yet it was during a second spell at Haarlem, in 1978, when Hughes made arguably his biggest impact in Dutch football – signing a young Ruud Gullit to his first ever professional contract.

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General view of Griffin Park before the Sky Bet League One match between Brentford and Oldham Athletic at Griffin Park on December 14, 2013
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Today's games header
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1PSV EindhovenPSV30263195177881
2Feyenoord30226277235472
3FC Twente31196659312863
4AZ AlkmaarAZ30167759352455
5Ajax31131086558749
6NECNijmegen301211759441547
7FC UtrechtUtrecht3012994341245
8Go Ahead Eagles30119104439542
9Sparta RotterdamSparta30117124543240
10Heerenveen30106145056-636
11Fortuna SittardSittard3098133452-1835
12Almere CityAlmere City31712123151-2033
13PEC Zwolle3088144058-1832
14Heracles3095164062-2232
15SBV ExcelsiorExcelsior31511154666-2026
16RKC WaalwijkRKC Waalwijk3066182950-2124
17FC VolendamVolendam3047193074-4419
RVitesse3045212268-46-1


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