Rafa Benitez has revealed being without a job "wasn't an option" for him as it became clear he would not be staying at Newcastle United.
The Spaniard took over at Chinese club Dalian Yifang on Monday after a summer spent waiting for developments on his Magpies future.
However, he said it was a key meeting in London which told him the United hierarchy would not be budging over the assurances he wanted before signing any contract.
And with offers coming and going, Benitez and his team decided they had no option but to move on.
But he still looks back on his time on Tyneside with fondness - not least in his role in developing players at the club, with Sean Longstaff picked out for particular praise.
Manchester United are believed to be weighing up a £50m bid for the Magpies' midfielder, and Benitez was delighted with his progress last season.
“Newcastle need to think about the new season," Benitez said ahead of his first game in charge of Dalian Yifang against Henan Jiayne today.
"I have a great challenge ahead of me. But I will say that, after the meeting in London, it was a clear decision for me. A few days later, we told the club we would not extend the contract.
“We had been waiting for a solution to the takeover.
“But we were losing other offers. In the end, we couldn’t wait any more. Being without a job wasn’t an option.
“So we decided the project in China was an interesting one because they want to invest in every single department to improve the club.”
Looking back on his three years in the St James' Park hotseat, Benitez revealed some of the highlights which will stay with him.
“I will remember my relationship with the staff – that’s one of the things," he added.
“But, if you ask about football, winning the Championship was a good memory.
“Then it was charting the progress of players such as Ayoze Perez, Salomon Rondon, Isaac Hayden, Sean Longstaff and others.
“In particular, Sean was fantastic for us.
“Since our last pre-season in Ireland, we talked about his quality and attitude.
“When he had his chance, he grabbed it with both hands. He has a great future.
“But overall, the main thing was that we created a team spirit. A team the fans were proud to watch because of their commitment.”
