Aberdeen: Jim Leighton fears end of coaching career

Jim Leighton admits he is looking for a full-time job outside of football

Jim Leighton admits his career as a full-time goalkeeping coach is probably over after being sacked by Aberdeen at the end of the season.

Manager Craig Brown had brought the ex-Scotland keeper back to the club a year after Mark McGhee sacked him in 2009.

But after current boss Derek McInnes dispensed with his services, Leighton, 56, said: "I don't ever see myself working full-time in football again.

"That's disappointing, especially with the way the team has been going."

Leighton, who played almost 400 league games for Aberdeen, told BBC Radio Scotland's Sportsound programme that the meeting with McInnes last month that terminated his employment "was a very short conversation".

"There's no point in me saying what I thought about it because he was never going to change his mind," said Leighton, who won the European Cup-Winners' Cup with the Dons in 1983.

"He gave me a couple of reasons why but I'm not going to get into that. Needless to say, I was very, very disappointed.

"Everybody knows how delighted I was to come back to Aberdeen when Craig invited me back a few years ago. Aberdeen is my club, always has been my club.

"It's not exactly how I would like it to have finished but it wasn't my decision."

And the keeper, who served the Dons as a player and coach for 27 years, added: "I would only stay in Aberdeen so you really rule yourself out of working anywhere else.

"I would like to continue to work with the Under-21s, if the new coach that comes in wants me there.

"That would keep me in football, but as far as full-time would go, no, I'm looking to get a job outside football now.

"I'm too much of a home bird now to be moving elsewhere."

A statement on the Aberdeen website on 21 May quoted McInnes saying: "I would like to thank Jim for his contribution as a member of my team since I arrived at the club.

"Everyone connected with Aberdeen Football Club wishes Jim all the very best for the future."