This matters because McClaren has spent most of his football life being judged as a coach. At Rotherham, the role reportedly under discussion is different.
For a club trying to reset, that kind of appointment would be a statement. Rotherham would not simply be hiring a familiar name; they would be bringing in someone expected to shape the football department from top to bottom.
Even now, McClaren remains a figure with a broad CV and a deep network. His career has included high-profile jobs in English football and spells abroad, which means he would arrive with experience of dressing rooms, boardrooms and the transfer market.
That is why this potential move feels credible as an executive step. He appears to fit the profile of someone who can help define:
The key, of course, is that experience alone does not fix a club. The challenge would be turning reputation into clear decisions.
If the report is accurate, Rotherham are looking for more than short-term repair. They are looking for leadership. And McClaren’s own words about “uma voz nova” and “uma energia nova” may prove revealing: this would be less about nostalgia and more about a fresh structure.
The next step is whether interest becomes agreement. If it does, the summer at Rotherham could quickly become one of the more intriguing rebuild stories in the lower leagues.