Paul Lambert considering options but Scottish move unlikely

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Paul LambertImage source, Getty Images
Image caption,

Paul Lambert had a seven-month spell in charge of Wolves

Paul Lambert says he will take his time before deciding on his next move but expects any return to football management to be "away from Scotland".

The former Scotland captain left Wolves in May and has also managed the likes of Livingston, Norwich and Aston Villa.

"There's one or two things that I'm mulling over in my head at the minute," the 47-year-old told BBC Scotland.

"I'm never adverse to anything but I think I would rather stay in England or I'd go abroad."

Lambert departed Wolves after a restructure at the Championship club and Nuno Espirito Santo has since taken charge.

Lambert in management pre-Wolves

Livingston: 2005-06

Wycombe: 2006-08

Colchester: 2008-09

Norwich: 2009-12

Aston Villa: 2012-15

Blackburn: 2015-16

"I'm fortunate I don't really need to jump into anything that I don't think's worthwhile or I think, 'no, it's not for me'," Lambert told BBC Radio Scotland's Sportsound.

"So, I'll take my time and I'll see what I can do. It's been brilliant [in England]. I've loved my time down there. I've had opportunities to go abroad, which I've turned down. I think my time's probably away from Scotland.

"Wolves is a brilliant club, terrific fan-base. There's some really good players there at Wolves and I'm talking about the lads that Walter Zenga brought in as well.

"Our job was to try to help them along the way but they made the decision, everybody became comfortable with it. There was no animosity whatsoever - there's some good people there and we just decided to go our separate ways."

Image source, SNS
Image caption,

Lambert won four league titles with Celtic after winning the Champions League with Borussia Dortmund

With football clubs north and south of the border changing how they recruit players, Lambert still believes the manager needs to have the final say.

"I think the way any manager would like to work is if you're going to fail, you make sure you fail on your own terms and you fall on your sword and that's the way I've always viewed it," he added.

"I've always thought, if a player's going to come to your club, you make sure you've seen him or you know his character. Ultimately, you have to manage him for one, two, three years, for how long his contract's going to be.

"I know for a fact that the top [managers] will never let anybody will come in without them knowing. That's vital.

"You could have a really nasty dressing room with it if it doesn't work and you don't know their character."