Top 10 Brian Clough quotes as legendary manager is remembered

Today marks the 21st anniversary of the passing of the legendary Brian Clough.

Clough will forever be remembered as one of the best managers in the history of the sport, while he was also one of the greatest characters in the game.

The former Middlesbrough and Sunderland striker started his managerial career at Hartlepool United in 1965, and he then went on to manage Derby County, Brighton & Hove Albion, Leeds United and Nottingham Forest, with his managerial career coming to an end in May 1993.

During his time in charge of Derby, Clough won four trophies, including the First Division title in 1971-72, but it would be fair to say that his most successful period came at Forest, where he will always be a hero to the supporters.

The legendary manager won 13 trophies during his time at Forest, including two European Cups, leading the team to success in the competition in 1978-79 and 1979-80.

As well as being famed for the numerous trophies that he won, Clough was also known for being a journalist's dream where quotes were concerned, and he came out with some crackers down the years.

Here, Sports Mole has picked out 10 of the most memorable Cloughisms.

1. "I wouldn't say I was the best manager in the business. But I was in the top one." Reflecting on his time as a manager

2. "His wife can't sing and his barber can't cut hair." Talking about former Manchester United, Real Madrid and England midfielder David Beckham

3. "That Seaman is a handsome young man but he spends too much time looking in the mirror, rather than at the ball. You can't keep goal with hair like that." His view on former Arsenal and England goalkeeper David Seaman

4. "Rome wasn't built in a day. But I wasn't on that particular job." On getting things done

5. "I ask him which he way that he thinks it should be done. We get down to it, then we talk about it for 20 minutes and decide that I was right." Dealing with players that disagree with his selection or tactics 

6. "I only ever hit Roy the once. He got up so I couldn't have hit him very hard." The Roy in question was indeed ex-Forest and Manchester United player Roy Keane

7. "Players lose you games, not tactics. There's so much crap talked about tactics by people who barely know how to win at dominoes." Speaking after England's exit from Euro 2000 under the management of Kevin Keegan

8. "Anybody who can do anything in Leicester but make a jumper has got to be a genius." A tribute to Martin O'Neill

9. "I'm sure the England selectors thought if they took me on and gave me the job, I'd want to run the show. They were shrewd, because that's exactly what I would have done." On not getting the England manager's job

10. "If God had wanted us to play football in the clouds, he'd have put grass up there." Clough explains his footballing philosophy