Steve Clarke has revealed that he has been hunting for a job in management since leaving Chelsea in 2008.
The 48-year-old has just been appointed the new boss at West Bromwich Albion following a stint as Kenny Dalglish's assistant at Liverpool.
However, Clarke has admitted that he had hoped to make the step up from coaching "sooner".
"Circumstances dictate as and when you get chance to move up. I'd hoped an appointment like this would happen sooner," he told reporters.
"When I left Chelsea in 2008 it was my ambition to be a manager or be a head coach. I thought this position and appointment would have come a little bit sooner."
Clarke has also had coaching spells at Newcastle United and West Ham United.