Newly appointed Nottingham Forest manager Steve McClaren has confirmed media reports that he was approached about become the new Aston Villa boss, before the Villans later cancelled their meeting with him, the BBC reports. Speaking at his first press conference at the City Ground, the former England manager said he had been due to discuss the post with Villa but they pulled out of the appointment. Speculation at the time suggested that Villa got cold feet because Villa fans vented their disapproval at the prospect of McClaren becoming the club's new manager, but the former Middlesbrough boss would not be drawn on that. He said: "There was an approach and an appointment set up that wasn't fulfilled, but I can't control that. "You'd have to ask Aston Villa about the reasons. At the time it was a disappointment but I've had many disappointments in football. I quickly moved on." In a strange twist of fate, Villa now plan to make ex-Birmingham City manager Alex McLeish as their new boss. That has caused even more outrage than McClaren's potential appointment.
