Mcghee: I Have Taken A Big Risk

Jan 20 2008 By Gavin Berry

MARK McGHEE admits he took a huge gamble by pledging himself to Motherwell for the rest of the season and risked jeopardising any chance of landing the Scotland job.

The Fir Park boss told the SFA last week he wants to see out the campaign at the Steelmen in the wake of Phil O'Donnell's death.

McGhee knows he was playing a risk game - but his gamble could pay off with the SFA receptive to the idea of him doing both jobs on a part-time basis.

However McGhee, who was interviewed about the post on Thursday, said: "I did think my stance was a risk.

"If they felt they had to rule me out I would have respected that.

"But if they thought the part-time thing could work then fine. They have to do what's right for Scotland.

"I was comfortable. It was a satisfactory interview. I still have a lot of other things I would want answered.

"If Gordon Smith phoned me now and said 'The job's yours' I don't know if I'd be in a position to take it. There is more to talk about."

McGhee insists he worries what his parents would have thought if he'd walked out on Well at such a difficult time.

He was criticised for leaving Leicester City mid-season earlier in his managerial career and didn't want to make the same mistake. McGhee said: "Sometimes things feel right or wrong. If I walked out even my mother and father would think less of me and question me.

"I left mid-season from Leicester purely for business circumstances and it took me a long time to recover.

"At times you have to look beyond your own ambitions and at the bigger picture.

"We have all had a really difficult time.

"It would feel weird to leave - I need the team as much as they need me.

"My interview doesn't seem to have affected my players. I've made it clear I won't be leaving this season and they are satisfied with that. They know we are going to be doing things together."