The pressure on football managers in this day and age is relentless, but new Swansea City boss Paul Clement wants to embrace it rather than run away from it.
The 44-year-old was hired by the Welsh outfit earlier this week, not long after they sacked Bob Bradley less than three months after appointing the American coach.
Bradley oversaw just two wins in 11 games, and the fact that the Swans are on their third manager in less than a year indicates that Clement will need to hit the ground running.
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An eight-month spell at Derby County is Clement’s only previous job as manager, but he has had experience as a number two at the likes of Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid.
The Reading-born coach, who was initially overlooked by Swansea when they opted for Bradley, vacated his position as Carlo Ancelotti’s assistant at Bayern Munich to take a stab at the Swansea job.
And what a job it is! The club currently reside second from bottom in the top flight, one point from safety after winning just four of their 20 matches.
“I wanted a new challenge, a new experience,” Clement told reporters. “Working with Carlo I became better in my relationships with players, I became more confident in my ability and I felt comfortable at that level.
“But I’ve never settled for that, I want to feel the pressure. The worst thing about pressure is having none of it. It’s nice to have pressure, it makes you feel alive.
“It’s the right time for me. I’ve been coaching for 20 years, since 2009 at the highest level, and I want to see if I can build a career moving forward as a head coach – as the one making the big decisions.”
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