Source: Football.com

With England’s footballers idle this summer during the Euro 2008 tournament, the man who failed to lead them there will be busy offering his expert analysis on events in Austria and Switzerland.

Steve McClaren, who became the first England manager to fail to qualify for a major tournament since Graham Taylor in 1994 when defeat to Croatia in November cost them a place at the expense of Russia, has been named as a member of Five Live’s commentary team for the finals.

Steve McClaren to go to Euro 2008 without England
Under the weather: McClaren makes his sad exit after England’s defeat at the hands of Croatia

McClaren will be afforded a quick reunion with Slaven Bilic’s side with the June 8 fixture between Croatia and Austria first up on his match programme.

Taylor, too, will be a member of the BBC’s team.

McClaren has been out of work since being sacked by the FA in the wake of qualification failure despite making it clear he was looking to make an immediate return to club football claiming to have learned from his chastening experience as national team manager.

The irony of McClaren’s attendance at the tournament in a professional capacity will not be lost on embittered England supporters for whom McClaren was guilty of a failure to exploit the full potential of the raft of gifted players at his disposal.