Former Derby County forward Roger Davies believes new Rams head coach Steve McClaren’s experience can help the club achieve their Premier League ambitions.

The former England boss and ex-Derby assistant coach and midfielder signed a two-and-a-half year contract at Pride Park following a coaching stint at Queens Park Rangers, bringing with him two other former County players in goalkeeping coach Eric Steele and Paul Simpson.

McClaren surprised the world of football when he guided Dutch underdogs FC Twente to the Eredivisie title, pipping Amsterdam giants Ajax to the crown by just one point.

He then went on to a less successful period at German side Wolfsburg before rejoining the Dutch outfit, and Davies believes the manager’s experience at international level and abroad will be the final piece in the puzzle as Derby hope to end their five-year exile from the top flight.

“Steve’s got experience and he’s been at the club before,” he told Hawksbee and Jacobs.

“The club have been very clever in appointing three former Derby Country players, that will appease the fans because they will realise they all have a heart for the club.

“His win rate throughout his coaching career has been pretty good, it was very good at Twente in particular.

“Harry Redknapp and Joey Barton have said how much they’ll miss him and his coaching expertise at the club at QPR.

“As head coach he’ll have total control on what happens at the pitch. We know Steve’s good, and with the other two guys brought in as well hopefully we’re going in the right direction.”

Chairman Andrew Appleby has been outspoken of his aims to secure promotion, and Davies insisted Derby are already well equipped for the step up into the top flight.

“The way the club is built, the infrastructure and everything else is there for it and we are a big club. We’ve got a terrific fanbase and the legacy Nigel Clough has left is very good for someone to inherit.

“The players are very good and the academy has been a blessing with the players they’ve brought through.

“We just need one or two players, we need that bit of quality and we’re not that far away from having a really good side.”