Nigel Clough was sacked as Derby manager just hours after his Championship team's 1-0 defeat against local rivals Nottingham Forest on Saturday.

Clough had been the longest-serving boss in the second tier, but the former Forest, Liverpool and England striker's four-and-a-half year reign came to a shock end following the loss at his former club.

Derby's defeat left the team in 14th place in the table, seven points off the play-off places, and the Rams' board felt they had to act now before a challenge for promotion to the Premier League was beyond them.

The 47-year-old's side had failed to win at home in the league this season, losing three of their four fixtures.

They seemed to be on the up after a 5-1 rout of Millwall at The Den in early September, but a run of three successive defeats in eight days has cost Clough his job at the club where his father Brian famously won the English top-flight title as manager in 1972.

"Derby County have this evening announced that they have parted company with manager Nigel Clough with immediate effect," a statement on the club's website confirmed.

"Clough has been in charge at the Rams since January 2009 and the club would like to place on record their thanks to him for his tireless efforts to bring stability to Derby County, and his hard work and dedication throughout his tenure.

"However, after much consideration, the board feel it is time to move Derby County forward to the next level, which will necessitate a comprehensive review of the club's football operations.

"The ownership group remain steadfastly committed to the club and maintain their desire to compete at the top end of the Championship this season.

"The search is well under way to identifying and appointing a successor, and further announcements will be made in due course.

"The club would also like to take this opportunity to wish Nigel Clough well for the future."

Speaking after the Forest match, before his dismissal was announced, Clough showed no signs of fearing he was about to be axed.

"I am very pleased with the performance, I thought we were very good," he said. "We are pleased with a lot of things we did, just not the result.

"Just like at Leicester in the League Cup in midweek we caused our own downfall again with the goal. We should have cleared the ball first of all and then we lost the man from the corner.

"It is a small mistake but we didn't get away with it and it has cost us the game. Sometimes you get away with things like that but at the moment, with the run we are on, we aren't."