Friday’s ceremony took place in Middlesbrough Town Hall and the honorary Doctor of Professional Studies degree was conferred on McClaren by Lord Sawyer of Darlington, the Chancellor of the University of Teesside.

Among the first to send congratulations was Sir Alex Ferguson, who brought McClaren to Old Trafford as his assistant.

Sir Alex said: "I’m delighted to be one of the first to congratulate Steve on this award. Middlesbrough made a first class appointment when they appointed Steve and for him to join your University’s team of honorary graduates including George Hardwick, Brian Clough, Wilf Mannion and Steve Gibson is a great tribute to a great guy".

Mrs Liz Barnes, Dean of the School of Social Sciences and Law, University of Teesside, read the citation and recalled the whirlwind years of McClaren’s reign at Middlesbrough.

She said: "It was a period that lit up the town and the Tees Valley as silverware and European football came to the Riverside Stadium."