Former Town manager George Burley says the reason behind his change of mind regarding the Stoke job was their requirement of long-term guarantees. It seems likely that Burley felt he might have been tempted by offers coming in from bigger clubs.

Burley, back from a few days away after his Town sacking, said: "I had an open mind on Wednesday night and Thursday morning when I spoke with the chairman, but it had to be right for both parties and it wasn't.

"With Steve Cotterill leaving Stoke, the club wanted someone long-term and I wasn't able to commit to that."

Cotterill left the Britannia Ground to become assistant to Howard Wilkinson at Sunderland a few days before Burley was sacked from Town.

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