NIGEL Clough will have no problem making the step up in management at Derby County.

That is the view of former Mansfield Town skipper Jake Buxton, who flourished under Clough at Burton Albion this season.

Clough spent last summer enticing the central defender to Burton and he has been an integral part in helping them to the top of the Blue Square Premier.

And Buxton was full of praise for his former boss, who he said has made him a better player in the six months they have spent together.

Buxton said: "He is straight forward and he is not only a great manager, he is a top bloke as well.

"He is straight to the point and lets you know what he wants from you. He has been brought up to be respectful, disciplined in a big way.

"If you listen to him, work hard for him and give it your all, you will have no qualms with him.

"He has taken Burton from the UniBond League and built a great set-up and nobody can be bitter or disappointed that he has left. As a player or manager, you want to test yourself at the highest possible level.

"He has left us in a great position and people might question whether he could have stayed but it is not every day the Derby job comes up. You have to strike while the iron is hot.

"The Derby players will become better players under Nigel Clough, just like he made me a better player.

"He told me straight away the things I was doing wrong down at Mansfield, which nobody had mentioned before.

"That is what he will do with the Derby players as well. Those who do not respond will fall by the wayside and those who listen and put the work in will become better players for it.

"You have to work hard and be disciplined and respect everything he throws at you.

"It is a different standard, a higher standard, but it is the same principles that he will bring and implement.

"The big thing about Nigel is his attitude to life, his attitude as a person and he is never going to change whether that be at Burton or Derby.

"The players who respond and listen to him will have no problem because he is not only a very good manager, he is a fantastic person too."

Respect is a word Buxton uses frequently when talking about Clough.

And despite being the son of the legendary manager Brian Clough, Buxton said he will be his own man at Pride Park as he looks to steer Derby towards the top half of the table.

"Nigel had the respect not to ring me until the last day of the season and that means a lot," he said.

"Some managers would be chasing you and it would be disrespectful to other managers but he waited until the end of the season.

"He will do things his own way and you cannot blame him for that, it has worked so far.

"Obviously he would have picked things up from his dad because it is in his blood. I pick things up from my dad.

"And on top of that he played a large part of his career under his dad, when he was manager at Forest.

"But while that is the case, he will do things his own way, you can be sure of that. He will do a good job at Derby."

Burton are still a part-time club despite being runaway leaders as they look to get into the Football League.

But 23-year-old Buxton said Clough utilised the time he had with his players to maximum effect.

"Nigel is his own man and Burton Albion is a different football club to most with it being part time," said.

"His training sessions were phenomenal. They were one and a half hours but at a high tempo, he never gave you a minute and by the end you were absolutely shattered. That is what you wanted. Whether it be five-a-side games or something else, the tempo was high, it was no jolly-up and he set the standard.

"Whether you were the youngest or oldest player, you had to give 100% otherwise he would come down on you.

"As long as you worked the hardest you possibly could, you would have his respect."

Those are qualities and methods that the former Stags skipper thinks will see Clough flourish in his full-time role down the A52.

And he called on the fans to give him time to implement his way of thinking at the club.

"He has signed a big contract and it will be nice to see the fans give him time to settle in and I cannot see him having any problems if he does the same as he did at Burton," said Buxton.

"Some might find he is harsher on them than previous managers and he will treat everybody the same.

"Those who respond and respect him will do well and it will help move Derby forwards."