Crook vows not to go back on word
Former Norwich City coach Ian Crook has confirmed he has no intention of returning to English football. The 47-year-old Crook left Carrow Road by mutual consent two weeks ago and is already back in Australia, but has been linked with a job at newly-promoted Notts County, where his former managerial colleague Pierre Littbarksi is among the candidates to replace Steve Cotterill.
Former Norwich City coach Ian Crook has confirmed he has no intention of returning to English football.
The 47-year-old Crook left Carrow Road by mutual consent two weeks ago and is already back in Australia, but has been linked with a job at newly-promoted Notts County, where his former managerial colleague Pierre Littbarksi is among the candidates to replace Steve Cotterill.
But the former midfield star, who was part of the Canaries' management team under both Bryan Gunn and Paul Lambert during a 16-month spell back with the club, insisted he was not interested in another job in England.
He said: "There was a headline about me having a change of heart, but it's totally not the case. I am not coming back. And if I was going to stay in England it would be at Norwich.
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"No way would I have done what I have done and then come back to a different club."
Crook, speaking from his home in Sydney, said he had contacted Lambert to make it clear there had been no U-turn.
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"I rang the gaffer to tell him that. I don't know where it's come from and I don't want people to think I've been two-faced about it," he said.
Crook, who played 418 times for City between 1986 and 1997, worked as assistant manager to former German international Littbarksi at Sydney FC, where they won the inaugural A-League title, and although Littbarski moved on, they were reunited in Japan in January 2007 at Avispa Fukuoka.
"I worked for two and a half or three years with Pierre and I speak to him. I know he has this interview but I won't be coming back to England. If I take a job it will be back here in Australia," said Crook.
"There is nothing at the moment but I am enjoying myself. I have been able to spend some time with my wife who I haven't seen for seven or eight months, and I hadn't seen Sean, my eldest son, for a year. It's good to be back."
Crook's younger son, Sam, is currently working in Norwich.
Neil Featherby, of Sportlink, Littbarski's management company in England, said earlier this week that the German had been invited for an interview by County, and revealed that former City duo Craig Fleming and Paul Crichton could feature in his management team if he became manager.
Littbarski has also been linked with the Plymouth vacancy and another Australian job, at Adelaide United.
