Newcastle hires former England manager Steve McClaren

Newcastle has hired former England coach Steve McClaren to take charge of the Premier League team.

McClaren on Wednesday signed a three-year contract, which the club says could be extended to eight years.

He is the permanent replacement for Alan Pardew, who quit the northeast club in January. Former Toronto FC manager John Carver had a five-month stint as interim manager.

McClaren, who took unfashionable Middlesbrough to the UEFA Cup final in 2006, has spent the last eight years rebuilding a reputation that was tarnished by a troubled 18-month spell in charge of England between 2006 and 2007.

McClaren has since coached FC Twente in the Netherlands — in two spells — and Wolfsburg in Germany, as well as Nottingham Forest and Derby in England's second tier. He was fired by Derby last month.