Derek McInnes returned to the dugout at Kilmarnock and admitted he has no intention of hanging around in the second tier of Scottish football.
The 50-year-old has taken the plunge into the Championship after nine months out of the game following an eight year stint at Aberdeen - and after coming close to landing dream jobs at Rangers and Scotland.
The move to Rugby Park raised eyebrows after we revealed McInnes was locked in advanced talks with the Ayrshire club about replacing Tommy Wright.
He had penned an 18 month deal by the afternoon and, speaking exclusively to Record Sport , he immediately set his sights on a quick-fire return to the top end of Scottish football.
McInnes said: “People might be surprised but that doesn’t bother me. I feel as if I can help Kilmarnock. Put it this way, I don’t want to be in the Championship any more than they do and I feel, with a lot of hard work, we can achieve what we want to achieve together.
“I’ve had a really good break over these last few months but ultimately, I’m built to work. So when this opportunity came up I realised straight away that I’m ready to go again.
“I feel better than ever in terms of the experience I’ve picked up. But I’ve also got bags of energy and enthusiasm and believe there is still so much for me to do.
“So I chose Killie because I want to get going again and this is a club with massive potential.
"When Steve Clarke was here Kilmarnock became an established top six club and the fans connected with the team just the way they did when Tommy Burns was manager here during my own playing days.
‘“So, yes, in a year from now I want us to be heading into the winter break involved in the fight for a place in the top six of the Premiership.
“But obviously there is work to do. That’s why they are where they are in the league right now.
“The first aim is to get this club promoted and back into the top flight as quickly as possible. That’s my intention.
But we have a lot of work to do in terms of assessing the squad and making improvements - and there is no time to waste.
“It’s now my responsibility to make sure we get out of this league and it’s a responsibility I’m only too pleased to take on.”
McInnes will team up again with long term right hand man Tony Docherty as he attempts to put an immediate stamp on a side languishing in fourth place and in danger of missing out on a return to the top flight at the first attempt.
