LONDON (AFP) ? Former England boss Steve McClaren was left with a potential way back into English football after a day of managerial upheaval in the Midlands.
Championship side Nottingham Forest took the unusual step of saying they'd already spoken to McClaren after sacking Billy Davies as the Scot paid the price for twice failing to take the former European Cup winners back to the Premier League via the playoffs.
"Nottingham Forest have announced that they have terminated the contract of manager Billy Davies with immediate effect," said a statement on the club's website.
"They have also revealed that they are now talking to Steve McClaren about The City Ground vacancy. The club will be making no further comment at this stage."
McClaren's brief tenure as England manager ended when he was sacked a day after a 3-2 defeat by Croatia at a rainy Wembley in November 2007 scuppered the team's hopes of qualifying for Euro 2008.
Photographs of McLaren watching the match under the shelter of an umbrella led to him being dubbed the 'wally with the brolly' by sections of the English press as the reputation of the former Middlesbrough manager nosedived.
But, having taken the bold decision to move to the Netherlands, he guided FC Twente to second place in the Dutch Eredivisie in 2009 before leading the unfashionable side to the title the following year.
He left to join Bundesliga team Wolfsburg but couldn't enjoy the same success as he had across the border and was sacked by the German club in February of this year.
McClaren, 50, made his coaching reputation as an assistant to Jim Smith at Derby before becoming Sir Alex Ferguson's deputy at Manchester United.
He then took charge of Middlesbrough in 2001 and three years later led them to League Cup glory and to the 2006 UEFA Cup final, where they lost to Seville.
At Middlesbrough, he was drafted into the England set-up by then manager Sven-Goran Eriksson as the Swede's number two and succeeded him after the 2006 World Cup.
Prior to Forest making public their approach, McClaren had ruled himself out of going to West Ham, who since their relegation from the Premier League have appointed Sam Allardyce.
McClaren had also been linked with the vacancy at Aston Villa caused by former France and Liverpool manager Gerard Houllier's resignation through ill-health.
Meanwhile no sooner had Davies been sacked than his name was being mentioned with a move across the Midlands to Birmingham after compatriot Alex McLeish resigned as manager of the Blues, also on Sunday.
"Birmingham City Football Club can confirm Alex McLeish has resigned as manager," said a statement on the club's website.
Former Rangers manager McLeish was immediately installed as a leading contender by several British bookmakers to take charge of city rivals Villa, still in the Premier League.
Birmingham were relegated on a see-saw final day of the season last month when a 2-1 defeat by Tottenham Hotspur, combined with other results, condemned them to a bottom three finish.
It was a rollercoaster campaign for the Blues, with McLeish, who took charge in 2007, also leading Birmingham to victory in the League Cup final where they upset the odds to beat Arsenal 2-1 at Wembley -- a result the former Scotland centre-half labelled his "greatest achievement" in football.
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