A life in the limelight, like it or not, that has led to Pride Park

NIGEL Clough should be well prepared for the attention he will receive as Derby County manager, having lived much of his life in the public glare.

Born in Sunderland on March 19, 1966, his father Brian had already had a successful playing career, albeit cruelly curtailed by injury.

Having cut his managerial teeth with Hartlepool United, Clough senior made the move to Derby when Nigel was only 14 months old.

He went on to win the Championship with the Rams in 1971-2, before later leading Nottingham Forest to one league title and two European Cup successes.

Nigel, meanwhile, learned his trade as a player in the local junior and senior leagues around Derby.

During the 1983-4 season, he was invited to play for Heanor Town, then in the Northern Counties East Premier League.

After an impressive spell there, Brian took him to Forest, where he would go on to play in excess of 300 games and score more than 100 goals.

His form earned him an international call-up – he was capped 14 times by England – and, in June 1993, a £2.75m move to Liverpool.

In January 1996, he joined Manchester City for £1.5m and this was followed by a brief second spell with Forest and a loan move to Sheffield Wednesday.

In October 1998, he took up the role of player-manager at Burton Albion.

Clough led the Brewers to the UniBond League Premier Division title in 2001-2, winning the club promotion to the Conference.

He made 300 appearances as a player but, as the years ticked by, began to spend less time on the pitch and more time in the dugout.

Clough has overseen a season-on-season improvement in non-League's top flight, plus some memorable moments like the FA Cup run of 2005-6 when Burton took Manchester United to a third round replay at Old Trafford.

And he leaves Albion 13 points clear at the top of the table – in sight of an historic promotion to the Football League.