The 50-year-old, who as assistant to Jim Smith helped lead East Midlands rivals Derby to promotion to the Premier League in 1996, returns to English club management after a five-year absence. McClaren agreed a three-year contract on Monday to succeed Billy Davies who was sacked the previous day.
Asked about his plans for taking the club forward, he said: "I want to make it a sustainable club, a sustainable success, and develop the academy. I wouldn't be sat here if I didn't think I was the man to fulfil everybody's dream of playing the Premier League. That is the ultimate goal."
After overseeing the most successful period in Middlesbrough's history, which included lifting the Carling Cup in 2004 and a UEFA Cup final defeat to Seville two years later, McClaren landed the England job.
However, his spell in charge of the national team was the shortest of any England manager to date and he was sacked after a 3-2 defeat to Croatia at Wembley meant failure to qualify for Euro 2008.
McClaren headed abroad for his next job. He was a huge success with FC Twente in Holland, guiding them to a second-placed finish in the Dutch Eredivisie in 2009 before leading the team to the title the following year. He departed to join German side Wolfsburg in May 2010 but struggled in the Bundesliga and was sacked in February of this year.
McClaren insists his experiences abroad have made him a better coach and he has nothing to prove upon his return to these shores, despite his ill-fated spell with England.
''I was successful before England and after, so I don't have to answer to anyone,'' said McClaren. ''But that's football, isn't it? You learn from those experiences and your philosophy always develops. Going abroad has made me a better coach and now I look forward to bringing those experiences and what I have learned here to Nottingham Forest.
''A small number of people will concentrate on the England thing and maybe view me in a bad light but I think the majority of people will be, and have been, supportive. I can't change some of those views but the people who know football know me and they have been very supportive.
''I don't feel I have anything to prove. I came back to England because I wanted to. I had offers to stay on the continent but the challenge of English football, and Nottingham Forest, is what brought me back. I wanted a new challenge in this country, a big challenge.
Source: PA
Source: PA