Powell was not chosen to succeed Nigel Pearson but will be staying on as McClaren’s assistant.
New Derby County manager Steve McClaren has told the club’s website that it was vitally important to him that assistant and caretaker manager Chris Powell remained on his coaching staff.
McClaren was confirmed as the Rams’ new boss on Wednesday just 505 days after he was sacked at the end of the 2014-15 season.
Powell, who had been serving as assistant to sacked former manager Nigel Pearson, won four points from his two games in charge following Pearson’s dismissal, and had been touted by some as a leading candidate to be given the job on a full-time basis.
However, County chairman Mel Morris has instead chosen to bring back McClaren, who has also served the East Midlands club as both a player and an assistant boss prior to his first spell in charge from 2013 to 2015.
Speaking to dcfc.co.uk after his appointment, McClaren has stressed that he made it a priority to ensure that Powell would be remaining on his coaching staff.
McClaren explained: “For me, it was vitally important that Chris Powell and the existing team remained on the coaching staff.
“When I was assistant to Jim Smith in the 1990s, Chris was part of the squad and a key player for us. He had a fine playing career, being capped by England as well as enjoying many years in the Premier League, so to have someone as talented as him as my assistant is really important.”
Despite the disastrous collapse of the final months of the 2014-15 season, McClaren has a good record from his previous spell at the iPro Stadium.
His win percentage is the second highest of any full-time manager in the club’s history, and fans will be hoping that his return can build on the improvement shown by Powell and steer them up the table towards the play-off spots.
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