PAUL Cook knew he had to go to Ireland if he had any chance of fulfilling his managerial dream, but he believes he arrives at Accrington Stanley much better equipped to succeed in England than he was the first time around.

Cook left a coaching role at Stanley in 2006 to start his managerial career with Southport, but he admits now that he has regrets about accepting that job.

He lasted only seven months before being sacked by the Conference club and felt he had little option then but to move away from his family in Liverpool and take a position with Irish side Sligo as he pursued his ambition to be a manager.

It was a make or break move, but one that paid off handsomely.

Five years later he left Sligo this week with their chairman hailing him as the best manager in the club’s history, having guided them to three trophies and success in Europe.

“Southport wasn’t dif-ficult, it was just a disaster!” he laughed yesterday.

“It was mission im-possible. Southport is a good football club and I wish them every success but it was a bad move for me, I should never have taken the job. I was young, I was inexperienced and I thought I could change the world.

“When you’ve been sacked at a club after a few months, the chances of you getting another job in England are nil, it’s that simple.

“Basically you’ve been tarnished by that club that you don’t know what you’re doing and you’re not good enough to manage, so no-one is going to give you another job.

“So I didn’t really have another choice other than to go to Ireland and try to prove that I could manage. I like to think with what I’ve done for Sligo Rovers over five years has been testament that I can manage, I do know what I’m doing and with the right backing we can have success.

“Four-and-a-half or five years later I’m a little bit more experienced, I’ve got a better knowledge of management and I’d like to think I’m a better manager.

“For Accrington to come after me after so many quality applicants is a great pat on the back for me. But that’s gone, what you’ve done at previous clubs doesn’t really count because that period of your life is over.”

Cook, who watched from the stand as Stanley lost 1-0 at Rotherham on Tuesday, learned a lot working alongside John Coleman at Accrington between 2003 and 2006.

The 44-year-old has already received a good luck message from the former Reds boss and assistant Jimmy Bell, whose new Rochdale side were beaten at Scunthorpe in midweek.

“They have wished me well,” Cook said. “We both had the same results on Tuesday, so we suffered together!”

And Cook has also taken inspiration during his managerial career from Stan Ternent, his boss during a four-year spell at Burnley as a player.

“I had great times at Burnley and Stan Ternent is possibly the best manager I ever played for,” Cook said.

“Football is about players, they make managers look good and they can also make you look very weak so if you don’t make your players feel good they’re not to give you that back.

“Stan had a way of making you feel you were the best player in the world, but he also had a way of keeping you in check.

“His man management skills were second to none.

“I would imagine Stan will be over for a game very shortly.

“People from this area I have great friendship with will give me every support.

“They know the type of lad I am, I’m a very loyal lad and we’ll move heaven and earth to get success.”