ROTHERHAM United began their pursuit of Steve McClaren when Matt Hamshaw was still the manager at AESSEAL New York Stadium, chairman Tony Stewart has revealed.

The former England boss yesterday joined the Millers as head of football and has been charged with leading the rebuilding mission required after relegation to League Two.

The first meeting came in February, when Hamshaw's reign was drawing to a close following the club's slide down the table. Stewart instigated the initial contact and McClaren signalled his potential interest as he was recuperating from an ankle operation.

The chairman told the Advertiser: “We had a chat. We went to see him. Steve was very professional in the way that he conducted the conversation. It was questions and questions and questions. The thoroughness of his questioning meant that, really, he was really going into it deeper than just a casual conversation.

Tony Stewart and Steve McClaren at Rotherham United's AESSEAL New York Stadium this week. Picture: Kerrie Beddows

placeholder image — Tony Stewart and Steve McClaren at Rotherham United's AESSEAL New York Stadium this week. Picture: Kerrie Beddows

“At some point, I just said: ‘Would you be interested?’ He said something like: ‘Well, let me have a look and see.’ And for the past three months, we kept in touch. I enjoyed the process. You know that old saying: preparation, preparation, preparation. Steve was doing it.”

Hamshaw was dismissed after a 5-0 loss at Peterborough United on March 17. McClaren wasn't ready to commit at that stage and Lee Clark was brought in on a short-term managerial assignment for the last nine matches of the campaign.

Earlier in the season, the Millers had edged to within four points of the play-off frame but December brought a savage drop-off in form and results from which they never recovered.

“When you're reflecting on last season, up to Christmas, everything was fine,” Stewart said. “We were going to get in the top 10, top six. We went nine games without a league defeat.

“Then we got into the darker months, into the new year, and things didn't go to plan. For a while, Steve and I were texting each other and I started reflecting, thinking: ‘How do we shore up Rotherham United?’

“I said to myself: ‘What are the weaknesses? What are the strengths?’ It was more about, what are the weaknesses?. I thought: ‘We've never had someone who's got the experience in football than Steve has.’

Rotherham had revamped their footballing structure to create an 'overseeing' role for McClaren who has the authority to name a head coach to work with him. He and Stewart have long been friends and the 65-year-old was once a candidate for the manager's job at New York when the Millers were in the Championship.

“We met around 10 years ago,” the chairman said. “I got a call from Steve and he said: ‘We'll have a chat.’ We met at a hotel in York. I was flattered by the fact he was the ex England manager. We had a lovely talk.

“Over certain time, Steve's shown an interest in the club. He's watched one or two games here.”

An agreement was broadly in place earlier this month and McClaren's discussions with the club continued while Stewart was on holiday abroad for around a fortnight.

“A couple of weeks ago, it was possibly going to happen,” the chairman said. “But, again, Steve was dotting the 'i's, crossing the 't's. He came down and spoke to people while I was away. And we are where we are today because of this story.”