FACTBOX-Steve McClaren

(Reuters) - The FA said on Thursday that Steve McClaren had been sacked as England head coach following their failure to qualify for the European Championship finals next year. Here are a few facts on McClaren:

* EARLY CAREER

-- Born on May 3, 1961 in York, England. A midfielder, he started with Hull City, joining Derby County in 1985. Reached a playing career high in 1987 by helping Derby win promotion to the old first division (now Premier League).

-- A back injury ended McClaren's playing career in 1992 after stints with Lincoln City, Bristol City and Oxford.

* MOVES INTO COACHING

-- Began coaching at Oxford in 1992, becoming assistant manager at Derby under Jim Smith in 1995. Took over as first team coach at Manchester United and was involved in their 1999 treble of European Cup, Premier League and FA Cup.

-- Joined Middlesbrough as manager in 2001 and in 2004 steered the club to its first major trophy with victory in the League Cup and a UEFA Cup place. 'Boro reached the UEFA Cup final in 2006, losing to Sevilla.

* ENGLAND JOB

-- Named England coach in May 2006 after the FA's first-choice candidate, Brazilian Luiz Felipe Scolari, said he did not want the job. McClaren took over from Swede Sven-Goran Eriksson after the World Cup finals.