When Ally McCoist tendered his resignation to Rangers in December 2014, he probably knew his managerial career was all but over.
He was placed on gardening leave later that month before officially leaving the club in September of the following year and since then has worked as a pundit on TV and radio.
The Rangers legend is regarded as one of the best players in the club's history and started his managerial career with a bang, before losing a healthy lead to Celtic and then having to deal with the fall out of administration, liquidation and relegation to Division Three.
And he admits it took a toll on his health and he didn't recognise himself when he looked in the mirror.
Six years on from his exit and McCoist is back to his old self and is loving life on national radio.
But while he's never been in a dugout for a competitive game since leaving Rangers and is unlikely to return to management at the age of 57, McCoist comforts himself with a message from former Ibrox owner Sir David Murray.
Murray sold Rangers to Craig Whyte in 2011 shortly after he had appointed McCoist as manager and he reckons that the turmoil of the years that followed means nobody will ever know how could he could have turned out as a gaffer.
But Murray's opinion that he was up there with the best when it comes to dealing with major problems means McCoist is happy with what he did.
When asked in an interview with The Times how much of a toll it took, he said: "Oh, it definitely did. I was going to a game one day, and my wife said, ‘Have a look at yourself in that mirror.
"Honest to God, I didn’t recognise the guy looking back. I thought about my health. Is it all worthwhile? I remember talking to Jim McLean, Sir Alex and Walter, three greats of the game, and every one of them was of the same opinion, that there’s nothing more important than your family.
“Sir David Murray spoke to me after the event, and said, ‘Alistair, with the greatest respect, we’ll never really know what you’d be like as a manager, due to the last four years. But I’ll stand by you as one of the best crisis managers I’ve ever seen.’ I can take something from that.
"This great club was falling down due to the way it was being run by people who shouldn’t have been anywhere near it.
“It was a stressful time. I was worrying about people’s livelihoods. Not only were good people losing their jobs, but the future of the actual club was absolutely 100 per cent in serious doubt. I wasn’t sleeping.
"But I’m not fishing for sympathy; a lot of people have stressful jobs. I was given the opportunity to manage the club I supported as a boy. In a bizarre, masochistic way, I was pleased it was me in charge because I knew what the club meant to so many and I knew the importance of steering it through its hardest times.
"With the help of some brilliant staff, we managed to get through it."
