Walter Smith turns down Wolves job

Wolves were this afternoon considering their options after Walter Smith rejected the chance to manage the club on a short-term basis.

The 63-year-old had been excited about the prospect of reviving Wolves' fortunes while the club sought a long-term successor to Mick McCarthy after the end of the season.

But the longer Smith thought about it, reservations about turning around the club's fortunes knowing he would only have been there until the end of the campaign began to kick in.

Smith, who never met club officials face-to-face, had been in talks with the club over the last few days when he said 'no' to managing the club on a longer-term basis.

Then he received a call asking if he would manage the club until the end of the season and was tempted – only to decide against it knowing he risked possibly closing his glittering career with a relegation.

"It's true I'm not going," Smith told the Shropshire Star this afternoon.

"I was totally unsure whether I really wanted to do it or not. It was a purely personal thing, nothing to do with Wolves.

"I know Jez and I knew I was more of a fall-back than anything. We didn't even get as far as discussing money.

"There was never a face-to-face meeting and we never discussed finance."

"If someone asks you, you're pleased to be asked, but the longer you think about it, you start to ask yourself whether it was right."

Alan Curbishley turned down the job twice, then they approached Reading and Brighton asking for permission to speak with respective managers Brian McDermott and Gus Poyet but were denied permission.

See also:

• Alex Rae: Walter Smith is the man for Wolves

• Walter Smith offered Wolves manager job

• Gus Poyet reveals Wolves approach was rejected