AN EMOTIONAL Mark McGhee has explained why he turned his back on a lucrative move to Hearts to remain as manager at Motherwell.
McGhee described how he was about to step on to a flight to Lithuania to open talks with Hearts majority shareholder Vladimir Romanov, when he made a last-second about-turn and decided to stay at Fir Park.
The 51-year-old, who steered Motherwell t
o third place in the SPL and qualification for next season's Uefa Cup, admitted the bitter reaction he provoked when he left Leicester to manage Wolves earlier in his career had influenced his decision.
McGhee explained: "I felt a move to Hearts would have been premature for me. It smacked a bit of what I did earlier in my managerial career. When a bigger job came up, I went.
"Hearts was a bigger job, but make no mistake, I would never say it was a better job. I couldn't allow myself to go this time because I have to give a little more back.
"As much as Hearts was a fantastic opportunity, I have to stick it out at Motherwell a bit longer. I was at the door of the plane and would have been the last passenger on board. But I turned round and said, 'I can't do this.'
"We are in Europe and I have always wanted that on my CV. I want to have that experience. I've a fantastic little team at Motherwell. Even on the last night of the season, when we won at Hibs, the performance excited me. I just found it impossible to draw myself away from that."
The full article contains 280 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
