Ipswich Town’s former boss Paul Cook has revealed he turned down League One job offers before completing a return to Chesterfield in February.
Ipswich Town relieved Cook of his services at Portman Road in December following a dismal start to the 2021/22 campaign.
The Tractor Boys had a huge overhaul of the squad in the summer prior to the start of the season, but Cook was unable to get his team going before being moved on and ultimately replaced by Kieran McKenna.
Cook has since completed a romantic return to National League side Chesterfield, but the 55-year-old has revealed his situation could have been very different.
Speaking at a fan Q&A on Tuesday night (quotes via the Derbyshire Times), Cook admitted he had offers from League One clubs before deciding to return to Chesterfield. He also revealed he has turned down Football League clubs since his return in February, insisting he feels as though he couldn’t just leave the club in the lurch.
“I have turned down League One clubs before I came here, I have turned down League clubs while I have been here,” he said.
“With where the club was, I could not leave them without a manager.
“I could not sit at home and do Sky Sports and that stuff while Chesterfield did not have a manager.”
Cook’s Football League pedigree
The Liverpool-born boss’ return to the National League certainly raised some eyebrows across the footballing world, especially considering his jobs prior had been with Portsmouth, Wigan Athletic and Ipswich Town – all big teams in League One, and in the Latics’ case, the Championship.
Cook’s first stint with Chesterfield in which he led them back to League One has shown exactly what he’s capable of, and it’s exactly why he would have attracted EFL interest regardless of his difficult time with Ipswich Town.
Now though, his focus will be on getting the Spireites back in the top four divisions after dropping to the National League in 2018.
