Former Bristol City boss Keith Millen says he hopes his time in Sweden will lead to English football clubs taking an interest in him again.
The 53-year-old ended his playing career with a four-year stint at City between 1999 and 2004 before moving into the club's coaching set-up.
After spells in charge as a caretaker, Millen became permanent Robins boss in August 2010 following Steve Coppell's shock departure, but lasted just over a year before leaving in October 2011 with the club bottom of the Championship.
Millen then spent time at Crystal Palace, working under the likes of Neil Warnock and Alan Pardew, before going to MK Dons.
Despite caretaker roles in charge of both clubs, he has been unable to find another managerial job in England, and last year moved to Swedish club Halmstad in a coaching capacity after a tip-off from Palace boss Roy Hodgson.
Millen told ITV: “Roy Hodgson rang me to say Halmstad, who he managed, were looking for an experienced coach.
“They were willing to look over in England for a coach to come over. At the time, I was trying to get back in at Brentford but that didn’t come off.
“I had a few discussions with Roy about whether I should come over, he knew me as a person and a coach, he knew what Swedish people and football were like, and he thought it would be quite a good fit and hopefully get some success over here.
“If it wasn’t for Roy pushing me towards it, I probably wouldn’t have done it.
“I really enjoyed my time there but we just missed out on the play-offs, so I told the club I wouldn’t be staying after a year.”
Millen's work at Halmstad grabbed the attention of Gothenburg-based Örgryte, who offered him the role as manager.
He hopes his willingness to work abroad will eventually transform itself into a job back in England.
He said: “I did some coaching in America when I was a bit younger, so I was always open to a different experience, different culture, different way of working and certainly different mentalities in the players’ temperaments, which are definitely different to the players in England.
“It is definitely a good learning curve as a manager and coach, so it was certainly something I was interested in and this one seemed to really fit with how I wanted to work.
“I spoke to quite a few people who I respect in the game in England and they said that sometimes in your career you have to almost reinvent yourself on your CV; I have a good CV for what I have done at the clubs I have played and worked for but sometimes you have to do something a little bit different and freshen things up.”
He added: “I went for two or three jobs even in League Two, where I have never worked, but that’s the market in England, it’s very difficult.
“I am hoping I can come over here and be successful, which will hopefully open more doors for me, whether it’s over here or in England.”
The coronavirus means Millen is yet to take charge of an Örgryte game.
Yet, with his family still based in England, Millen is just thankful to be able to keep working during this difficult time.
He said: “It’s been really tough, it’s great to go into work every day and I am almost working all the time, to keep myself busy.
“There is a scheme where the government are helping with paying wages, which is similar to in England, but part of the deal is that you are limited to how many hours each week you can spend at your workplace.
“It’s fine as far as training is concerned and when that is finished, I carry on working from home. The hardest thing is not knowing when I can go back to England to see the family, or them coming to see me.
"Now no one can fly anywhere, so the worst thing is now knowing when I can see the family again.”
