David Moyes says he is ready to revive his managerial career after his ill-fated tenure at Manchester United.
In his first broadcast interview since losing his job at Old Trafford in April, the former Everton boss, 51, told the BBC: “I am ready to return.
“I have enjoyed the time off but I have got to wait on the right job and make sure it’s one that I want.”
Moyes was sacked after less than 10 months in charge of United, following 11 successful years at Goodison Park.
The Scot believes he can repair his reputation and prove his critics wrong.
“I’m really ambitious,” he said. “I would never have left Everton for anybody but an ambitious football club. And I thought Manchester United would have given me that opportunity.
“It didn’t materialise that way, so I am hoping that the next club I join gives me the chance to build a team, because I think that is what I am good at.
“I also think that I am good at spotting and identifying young players, not only young players, but players.
“Over the years, we have brought in a lot of players at Everton and I think that they worked well. So if the opportunity came, then hopefully I will be able to make it work.”
Moyes won widespread acclaim for consistently guiding Everton into the upper reaches of the Premier League on a limited budget, and led them to the qualifying stages of the Champions League in 2005.
But he presided over United’s worst Premier League season having been chosen by Sir Alex Ferguson to succeed him after a trophy-laden reign.
He says he would prefer to return to English football but is open to working abroad.
“I’ve had several people contact me about jobs,” he added. “None of them have turned round and said ‘here is a job it’s yours’.
“But people have asked me if I have had any interest in jobs. The clubs that have come calling, I just felt that they weren’t right.”
Moyes said he will “know when the right club comes along”.
He added: “I needed a little bit of time just to make sure that I am ready, and I am feeling good to go back.”
Moyes denied he would only entertain offers from clubs involved in European competition.
But he said he had enjoyed his Champions League experience with United, who reached the last eight under him before exiting to Bayern Munich.
“Getting to the quarter-final in the Champions League wasn’t a bad feat,” he said.
“I really enjoyed it – embraced it, actually loved the Champions League nights, and we did well.
“We came up against Bayern Munich and we were a little bit unfortunate not to get ourselves through.”
Moyes has spent the summer relaxing, attending coaching conferences, and travelling, and says he has now recovered from the bruising experience he endured at Old Trafford.
“It’s the first time I’ve had off in about 30 years,” said Moyes.
“I’ve been involved in football since I was a young boy. I’ve enjoyed doing things you don’t get the opportunity to do when you’re in the job.
“When you’re in the job, you’re full on all the time. I’ve played some great golf courses, enjoyed a bit of horse racing, spent a bit of time with the family so it’s been good.”
Moyes found out about his dismissal by United from the media after a series of poor results.
“I got the job and I expected it to be a six-year plan,” he said. “I signed a six-year contract… disappointed it didn’t go to plan. I expected to be given an opportunity to fulfil that and it wasn’t what was expected.
“It was really difficult when I lost the job initially because I didn’t really see it coming, even though I had been losing games.
“I knew that it could be difficult but I joined a club that I felt stood behind their managers, made sure they supported them in difficult times. And, you know, Sir Alex had difficult times when he first took over.
“And I do understand that the landscape has changed a little bit in football, but I think that United always stood for the right things and I expected them to do what was right with me.”
United replaced Moyes with Louis van Gaal, who has won titles with Ajax, Barcelona, Bayern Munich and AZ Alkmaar and coached Netherlands at this year’s World Cup in Brazil.
The 63-year-old Dutchman has presided over a difficult start to the season, losing 4-0 to MK Dons in the Capital One Cup and 5-3 to newly-promoted Leicester City in the Premier League.
When asked what the reaction would have been had he been in charge of such losses, Moyes said: “I daren’t imagine what would have been said about it.
“But Louis van Gaal has got a difficult job as well, just like I did when I took over at the job, and he needs to be given that opportunity to get his mark on the team, turn it around.
“He is a very experienced manager and he should be given that chance to do so.”
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