McClaren returned to Derby County this month, 18 months after leaving the iPro Stadium.
In an interview with Talksport on Friday, Darren Bent was asked if he thought Derby County would now be a Premier League side had Steve McClaren remained in charge.
McClaren left the iPro Stadium 18 months ago, having seen the Rams slip from the Championship’s automatic promotion places to eighth.
It followed interest from then Premier League side Newcastle United, who McClaren later managed only to be sacked in April this year.
Derby hired Paul Clement and Nigel Pearson in the meantime, but both were sacked just months into their tenures, with the latter leaving the club in 20th place earlier this month.
In a shock move, Derby re-hired McClaren as Pearson’s successor, despite the 55-year-old being available at the time of his predecessor’s appointment.
Bent said of his new boss: “What he’s done he’s just got us back playing football how we used to play. We kind of went away from the way we were.
“It was quite fluent when Steve was here before, (he) kept it quite simple so everyone knew their jobs, he didn’t complicate anything.
“It’s only been 18 months so it feels like he’s never left. When manager goes away and comes back, if there’s a short space of time, the transition becomes a bit more easy.”
But would the Rams be a Premier League side if McClaren’s departure hadn’t happened? “It’s a bit hard to say we’d definitely be doing that, because under Steve were top for a bit and then we kinda fell off and it became difficult,” Bent added.
“The second season, under Paul Clement and then Darren Wassall, (we were) doing well. We were top again, fell off, got to the play-offs and obviously still didn’t make it.”
In his three games back at Derby, McClaren has won, drawn and lost so far which has seen the Rams drop to 21st in the standings ahead of Sheffield Wednesday’s visit to the iPro on Saturday.
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