Steve McClaren may be in frame for England after Capello steps down

Steve McClaren may yet return as England manager. Sir Trevor Brooking confirmed that the man sacked after failing to qualify for Euro 2008 could be a candidate when Fabio Capello steps down in two years' time. The Football Association wishes to have an Englishman in the post and its director of football development appreciates that McClaren has been swift in rebuilding his reputation. The manager capped his two-season spell with FC Twente Enschede by guiding the club to their first Eredivisie title this year. He then moved on to Wolfsburg and while his side are eighth in the Bundesliga at present, they have taken three wins and a draw from the last four fixtures. McClaren is turning out to be cosmopolitan and that sets him apart from many English managers. "I am sure if he continues to be a success his name will be in the frame again," said Brooking. "If you think he will be a lot more experienced this time around and he has learnt his lesson, then why not?" The development director also recognises that McClaren is a rarity in breaking free of any English insularity. "Terry [Venables] went abroad and did well," said Brooking, "but Sir Bobby Robson was the one manager who went to three countries [the Netherlands, Portugal and Spain] and was a massive success. We have to try and get more English coaches doing that. Sometimes we are a bit lazy. I am watching other coaches and there are people speaking four or five different languages. We have to encourage our coaches to do that so that they go abroad and get that experience." Stuart Pearce is the head coach of the Under-21 side, and the FA may put an Englishman among Capello's personnel. "Everyone talks about Stuart, who has been in the Under-21s for three years," said Brooking, "but there is no automatic progression here. What we need is to learn off Fabio; we need to give some experience to English coaches." The intention would be to increase the opportunities for, among others, John Peacock and Noel Blake, coaches of the Under-17 and Under-19 England sides respectively, to watch Capello. England have slipped back in this regard since the comparatively recent times when Sammy Lee was among Sven-Goran Eriksson's staff.