FORMER England coach Steve McClaren is lending his support to Darlington's promotion cause after taking charge of a training session this week.

On the eve of Darlington's League Two play-off semi-final, first leg with Rochdale, it has emerged that McClaren put the Quakers squad through their paces earlier this week.

The ex-Middlesbrough manager has been out of work since last November, after failing to guide England to next month's European Championships.

Darlington manager Dave Penney played in the same Oxford United side as McClaren between 1989 and 1992 and the pair have remained good friends since.

McClaren is keen to return to management after five successful years at Middlesbrough, in which he guided the Teessiders to their first domestic trophy in 2004.

However, the Yorkshireman, who still lives in the North-East, was more than happy to assist Penney and assistant manager Martin Gray at the club's Chester-le-Street training headquarters earlier this week.

Penney is doing everything within his power to ensure his Darlington squad go into tomorrow's game with the best possible preparation behind them.

The players have also been training behind closed doors this week, with the Quakers boss keen to give little away.

On the back of last Saturday's win at Peterborough, Quakers can go into the Rochdale game with renewed self-belief after bringing their recent poor run of results to an end at London Road.

And they will be boosted by the news that Fulham-bound goalkeeper David Stockdale will be fit to start, while Ryan Valentine, Julian Joachim and Guylain Ndumbu-Nsungu return to the squad.

Tommy Wright was rested at Peterborough, but Darlington's leading scorer will be back in the starting XI tomorrow.

"The main thing was that we rested a few players at Peterborough and we didn't get them injured," said Penney.

"Obviously David Stockdale picked up a knock but he's going to be fit.

"It's good for confidence (the win at Peterborough). We didn't want to go there and get battered, we wanted to spoil the party and I think we did that."

2:04am Friday 9th May 2008

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