Clough follows father to become Derby manager

DERBY, England (AP) -- Nigel Clough followed the path taken by his famous father on Tuesday when he became manager of Derby.

The 42-year-old Clough ended a 10-year spell with non-league Burton, who he had guided to the verge of England's professional leagues, to follow his famous father Brian in leading Derby.

Brian Clough managed Derby from 1967-73 and guided the side to its first ever English championship in 1972. He also won the English title with Nottingham Forest, which he led to two European Cup triumphs.

Just as when Clough Sr. took over, Derby is languishing in the second tier of English football. And with Derby 18th in the 24-team League Championship, Nigel Clough too must first stop the club from getting relegated before setting higher targets.

"I know the club inside out," Clough said Tuesday. "It has always had a special place in mine and my family's heart and I know that this is one of the most exciting jobs in football.

"We have a terrific squad of players already here and I can't wait to start working with them. This is going to be a tremendous challenge."

Clough was a striker like his charismatic father but has so far shown a far less eccentric personality than the man who hit his own fans for running onto the field and widely held to have been passed over for the England manager's job because of his domineering nature.

Brian Clough, who died in 2004, led the small provincial club to the semifinals of the 1972-73 European Cup, losing to Juventus in a match subject to allegations of match fixing.

Although he left amid acrimony in October 1973, Derby won the title again in 1975 with a squad largely assembled by Clough and he was held in such high regard that his memorial service was held at the club's Pride Park stadium.

Nigel Clough spent most of his playing career under his father at Derby's fierce rival Forest. He won the League Cup in 1989 and 1990, and made 14 appearances for England.

After injury-hit stints with Liverpool and Manchester City, Clough became Burton's player-manager in 1998.

He previously cited his decision to spend so long in the semiprofessional game on his desire to spend time with his family, something he said his father was denied because of the demands of his work.

With Burton currently 13 points clear atop the League Conference, just below England's four professional divisions, and Clough was December's manager of the month.

One of the high points of Clough's time with Burton was when the club took Manchester United to a replay in the FA Cup third round in 2006.

Derby, which is owned by the Michigan-based General Sports and Entertainment group, hosts the Red Devils in the first leg of the League Cup semifinals on Wednesday.

Caretaker manager Chris Hutchings left the club following Clough's appointment, with coaches David Lowe and Brian Burrows set to take charge against United.

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