Sandy Clark has admitted that an unexpected return to the SPFL was simply too good to turn down after leaving Albion Rovers to join Queen of the South.
The 69-year-old departed Cliftonhill last week alongside assistant manager George Paterson to join the coaching staff at the Doonhamers.
Clark will be working under his son Nicky, who has taken on his first managerial role at the age of 35 with the League One club.
The former Rangers, Airdrie and Hearts striker admitted he never expected to be involved in the SPFL again before the opportunity arose.
“It was unexpected to say the least,” Clark said. “I was quite happy working away at Albion Rovers but when Nicky got offered the job, the only way he would be comfortable with it was if he had support from somebody older.”
Clark added that the chance to return to league football made the decision straightforward, regardless of his age and his previous contentment at Cliftonhill.
“I didn’t really expect at my age that I would be back in the leagues, but it is a great opportunity and a great one for Nicky,” he said.
Clark noted that he and his son have worked together previously during spells at Aberdeen, Dunfermline and Queen of the South, giving them an established working relationship.
He expressed confidence that Nicky would develop quickly in the role, saying: “He might lean on me a lot at first but in the not too distant future he will be wise enough to make all the decisions.”
Clark drew comparisons to previous roles he has held, referencing similar situations with Darren Young at Rovers and Allan Johnston at Queen of the South.
“While the manager is the manager and makes the final decisions, if you are a sensible young manager you listen to people with experience and I have no doubt Nicky will take on board what I say to him,” he added.
Before leaving Albion Rovers, Clark had already signed six players for next season and described whoever takes over as “very lucky” to be working at Cliftonhill.
The former Hamilton Accies and Hearts boss led Rovers to a 13th-place finish in last season’s Lowland League despite extreme budget constraints that left the club only able to pay players expenses.
“The biggest achievement in my time here is getting it to this stage, especially with the really low budget we had last season,” Clark said. “It was an amazing for all the players and the staff to do how we did last season.”
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