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JIM JEFFERIES insists he has ‘no intention’ of copying Alex Smith and stepping back into the dugout in the wake of Gary Jardine’s resignation at Edinburgh City.
Jefferies is the sporting director at the League Two club and was left disappointed by Jardine’s decision to step down after 15 years at the club as a player and manager.
The capital outfit have invited applications as they seek a successor to Jardine and are keen for their new man to have ‘experience of playing and/or coaching in the SPFL’.
However, the time-served Jefferies, who says he was no more than a sounding board for Jardine in his role at City, is adamant he is not tempted by the prospect of stepping into the breach – even on an interim basis like Smith at Falkirk.
The 66-year-old former Hearts, Kilmarnock and Dunfermline boss told @CCP_sport: “Gary had made the decision that, win, lose or draw, Saturday would be his last game and I’ve got to say he did a fantastic job for the club, bringing them up into the SPFL and keeping them there last season.
“I assured Gary from day one that I was not going back into the dugout. The relationship we had was that if he wanted an opinion or to bounce something off me then I was there.
“And I’ve no intentions of going back in the dugout now.
“Football goes in cycles and maybe with Craig Levein coming back at Hearts and Alex at Falkirk it’s the time for experienced managers.
TRUTH
“But unless I have a daft moment my intention is not to go back!
“I think everybody thinks because Gary’s gone I’ll be taking over, but nothing could be further from the truth.”
Jefferies will be involved in the process of finding the new manager after joining the board in February, but insists finding Jardine’s replacement will not be down to him.
He added: “The chairman’s asked for applications and it’ll be like any other club, it won’t be Jim Jefferies who appoints the new manager, it will be the board of directors.
“I’ll probably sit in on that and if they ask me for an opinion on someone I’ll give it.”
