DERBY chairman of football Adam Pearson has confirmed that he has contacted Burton Albion about the possibility of Nigel Clough becoming the new manager of the Coca-Cola League Championship club.
Clough, 42, whose late father Brian famously managed Derby between 1967 and 1973 and led them to the old Division 1 title in 1972, has been heavily tipped to make the short switch to Pride Park to fill County's vacant managerial post after Paul J
ewell resigned a week ago.
Clough junior has impressed in his first job as a manager. Having taken charge ten years ago with Burton in the Southern League, he is on course to earn the Brewers promotion to the Football League for the first time in their history.
Burton are top of the Blue Square Premier League, with a 13-point cushion between them and nearest rivals Histon.
Derby are lying 18th in the 24-team Championship after being relegated from the Barclays Premier League last season.
Pearson wants to make an appointment within the next nine days and has admitted that Clough is on the club's "very small radar".
"Certainly Nigel has got lots of attributes you look for in a manager and I have spoken to (Burton chairman) Ben Robinson about him," Pearson said.
"But I speak to him often anyway because of the close connection between the two clubs. We did have a chat about Nigel, but that is as far as it has gone.
"There are certainly other candidates on our shortlist, but he is one who is on our very small radar. At this stage we haven't had that formal discussion with Nigel, but the overall appointment of a permanent manager is literally just days away.
"It has always been long mooted that at some point Nigel will manage this club and there is obviously a famous connection between him and his dad. More importantly he ticks the boxes on a number of other attributes.
"We are looking for a manager who can develop and coach and build the confidence and belief of what we believe to be a good squad of players. Nigel has that manner – he is firm and fair, considerate and intelligent and confident."
Robinson added: "If he's asked to go to Derby or anywhere else and he wants to take it then he'll go with my blessing and my best wishes."
Chris Hutchings has been placed in temporary control of first-team affairs while Jewell's successor is found.
He oversaw Derby's nail- biting 4-3 victory at non-league Forest Green in the FA Cup third round on Saturday and will remain in charge for tomorrow's Carling Cup semi-final first leg against Manchester United at Pride Park.
Pearson insists Hutchings remains a contender for the job, adding: "He is still very much in the frame. He came through a tricky test admirably on Saturday, especially given the start to the game that we had in going 2-0 down.
"He prepared the team well and the training ground is buoyant, so for that alone he is on the shortlist."
Brian Clough guided Derby to the Division 2 title in 1969 and then their first top-flight championship in 1972, before enjoying European Cup triumphs with midlands rivals Nottingham Forest in 1979 and 1980.
A striker like his charismatic father, who died in 2004, Nigel Clough spent most of his playing career under him at Forest. He won the League Cup in 1989 and 1990, while also making 14 appearances for England. After stints with Liverpool and Manchester City, Clough ended up as Burton's player-manager in 1998.
Burton famously took Manchester United to a replay in the FA Cup third round in 2006.
Pearson also insisted the club will not become the subject of a hostile takeover from a Saudi Arabian consortium.
Weekend reports suggested a group would make an offer of £22million for the club, with a pledge to invest a further £10million in players.
American group General Sports and Entertainment bought Derby only a year ago and Pearson said: "We have received no such approach from any consortium. We are very happy with the present shareholding and we have no intention of selling the club."
