Nigel Clough turned down Nottingham Forest job as "matter of principle"

Burton Albion manager Nigel Clough has claimed that turning down the chance to manage Nottingham Forest was a "matter of principle".

The Brewers are just three points clear of the Championship's bottom three following Wednesday's 2-0 home defeat by Fulham, while the Reds are eight points above the relegation places.

Clough, who played for Forest between 1983 and 1993, met with owner Fawaz Al-Hasawi over the role at the City Ground, but said that he could not desert Burton in a relegation fight.

"I cannot tell you how attractive a proposition it is to go to Nottingham Forest," he told BBC Sport. "But it's not the right time or the right thing to do.

"I had a chat with the chairman, and he came across very well, no problems at all. It was totally down to staying here.

"It was choosing a matter of principle. It was loyalty not to jump ship mid-season with the position we are in."

Clough ended his first spell with Burton in January 2009, when he left the then-Conference runaway leaders to take over at Derby County.