Clement ready to go it alone at Derby

Paul Clement is looking forward to stepping out of Carlo Ancelotti’s shadow and going it alone after accepting a three-year contract to coach Derby County.

The former Real Madrid assistant will replace Steve McClaren in the Derby hot seat after the latter was sacked following a dramatic collapse at the end of the Championship season – the club missing out on the play-offs having been top of the table in late February.

Clement had long been linked with a move to back to England following spells with Ancelotti at Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain and Real, and the 43-year-old is relishing the chance to be number one.

“It [becoming a head coach] is something that I have thought about for quite some time now,” he told the club’s official website.

“I have had a wonderful experience in the last six years working as an assistant to Carlo Ancelotti at three great clubs in Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid.

“However, I really felt that it was my time now to go it alone and be a number one in my own right.

“The objective is clear; I want to take this club forward and into the Premier League, which I hope I can help achieve with my skills; I’m really up for the challenge.

“I have been thinking about this day for a long time and it is a very proud moment for me.”