Woodward reveals Clough inspiration

Clive Woodward today explained the respect he held for Brian Clough and gave an insight into how he might one day approach a career in football.

England’s World Cup-winning coach will be leaving rugby union after next summer’s British and Irish Lions tour to New Zealand.

He intends to further his experiences in another sport and has already applied to take his grade two football coaching badge.

“The greatest thing about Clough was that he was different. He did it his own way and that is what I always admire in people,” said Woodward, who is a passionate York City fan.

“To see the tributes come through form his ex-players, he had this ability to create the environment that was obviously pretty scary but they all enjoyed it.

“They all enjoyed the banter, they all enjoyed working for a coach who was so different.

“I thought Brian Clough was a fantastic manager because he was so different. And that is what sports need. He was a complete one-off. There aren’t many of those people around here in professional sport anymore.”

Woodward is seen as something as a maverick himself but he believes the closest manager to Clough in modern-day football is Celtic boss Martin O’Neill, hardly a surprise given the Northern Irishman’s time under Clough at Forest.

“He started off in Wycombe which is my local team. I was coaching at Henley and Martin won’t know this but I used to go and watch him,” Woodward said on BBC Radio Five Live.

“Because it was a small club you could sit very close to him. I used to love how he conducted himself on the side of the pitch. I saw a lot of Brian Clough in Martin O’Neill.

“I have the utmost respect for so many people, like Martin O’Neill, who have gone out into a competitive environment, and still done it their own way and not copied anyone else.”