Mick McCarthy says the primary reason for his decision to withdraw his interest in the Nottingham Forest job was due to a desire to manage in the Premier League again.
Former Republic of Ireland
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.] international McCarthy recently held talks with Forest about becoming manager following the Al-Hasawi family's takeover at the City Ground.
He subsequently pulled out of discussions to replace Steve Cotterill,
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.] with the Championship club eventually appointing Sean O'Driscoll
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McCarthy, who was sacked by Wolves in February, is keen to get back into the top flight and he also did not want to be disrespectful towards Forest by taking the job for the sake of it.
"I thought it would be wrong to go back and just take a club, especially a club like Nottingham Forest, which has a great history, for the sake of taking the club."
Mick McCarthy Quotes of the week
History"The primary reason is that I want to get a job in the Premier League," McCarthy told the
Irish Independent.
"Whether that's going to happen or not, I don't know, because there isn't an awful lot of jobs going, of course, and it's not really a sacking league - well, it's got better that way.
"I'd also just moved out of the West Midlands, and I thought it would be wrong to go back and just take a club, especially a club like Nottingham Forest,
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.] which has a great history, for the sake of taking the club. I don't think anyone deserves that.
"We'll see what comes up. They all know I'm unemployed. There might be a club abroad that I might like."
McCarthy is also keeping an open mind regarding the prospect of a return to international football after rejecting the chance to become South Korea coach in 2007.
The ex-Ireland boss added: "I'd say I would consider it (international football) again and that's not necessarily here because South Korea approached me a few years back; that job was mine, but I turned it down.
"I've had a number of enquiries as to whether I'd be interested in international jobs. But now, I want to be at a club, that's where I want to be."