I wasn't allowed to help McClaren - Publicist

Publicist Max Clifford has reiterated his disappointment that he had to end his association with England manager Steve McClaren because "I was not doing anything".

Clifford had been acting as an advisor to the company which represents McClaren, Key Sports, since the former Middlesbrough manager took up over as national boss in the summer. His role, he claims, was to "promote and protect" McClaren.

However, that relationship was ended following claims from Clifford that the Football Association was unhappy with their working together.

McClaren has come in for major criticism in the media following the goalless draw at home to Macedonia and defeat away to Croatia.

While Clifford accepted McClaren was in the results business, he insisted there was a case for using his knowledge to help make the media spotlight more comfortable.

"Winning is the most important point of his role as England manager and what he is judged on, but there are other aspects of this," said Clifford, who had assisted former FA secretary Faria Alam after she hit the headlines following her affairs with ex-England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson and former FA chief executive Mark Palios.

"There have been several stories which were going to be run by national newspapers over the last two or three months, which I have stopped, and which would have been very unpleasant reading for Steve and his family.

"That is the kind of thing I have been doing."

Clifford remains disappointed the way his relationship with McClaren and his advisors was allowed to break down.

"It was a four-year relationship arranged by his management company, Key Sports, but the only reason I walked because I was not doing anything…. Because I was not being allowed to do anything," Clifford told BBC Radio Five Live's Sportsweek programme.

"What I said to Steve was the same as I have to anyone who has approached me in the last 40 years, that we need to work closely together - I told him: 'The British media is not easy, and you are in a job now which is second only to the prime minister in terms of media coverage, therefore if I am going to help you, we need to have a close working relationship.'

"All of which was understood and agreed.

"We have not had a close working relationship, so I am wasting my time and his money."

Clifford added: "If he gets back to winning, then you will be reading some lovely things about him, his talent and ability.

"But in terms of what is going on behind the scenes, I felt maybe what a lot of previous other England managers had been through with the British media could have been avoided, which is one of the reasons they [Key Sports] came to me in the first place.

"Other England managers were very unhappy with the way they were dealt with in the British media, and of course the FA looked after all of them."