Paul Scholes has ruled himself out of the running to manage his beloved Oldham by saying it was the right job for him, but at the wrong time.
The former Manchester United midfielder has said he wants to become a manager one day and would be keen to take charge of the League One club, but rebuffed their approaches this time.
Scholes, who retired in 2013 after making 718 appearances for United, said he is focusing on family life and his work as a television pundit now.
"It is no secret that Oldham Athletic were interested in appointing me as Lee Johnson's successor at the club, and it was an offer that really tempted me," Scholes wrote in his Independent column.
"Even as I watched them in the Port Vale game on Tuesday, having made my decision not to take the job, there was part of me that wished I was in the dug-out.
"I will be a manager one day. I have come to see that over the last eight months, although I know that I first said that I did not see my future in coaching. And one day I believe that I will manage Oldham, the club that my dad supports and who are very close to my heart."
Scholes, 40, has coached United's youth teams and was on Ryan Giggs' backroom staff during the Welshman's four-game spell as interim manager at Old Trafford last year.
Oldham chairman Simon Corney revealed earlier this week that Scholes sometimes helps out with coaching sessions at Boundary Park.
And the former England international added: "They are a really good family club who mean a great deal to a lot of people -- myself included. I just did not feel this was the right time.
"When I go into management, I want to do so with 100 percent commitment. At the moment I have a lot of responsibilities and things going on in my life that I cannot simply drop immediately.
"Most importantly I have a young family who need their dad around, having been away a lot during my playing career. There was no way, for example, I would ever have tried to combine a coaching job with my work on television.
"Managing a club like Oldham has to be an all-absorbing, seven days a week commitment. That is how Lee made such a success of it. One day I will be ready to do that. This was the right job, just at the wrong time."
Oldham, who are aiming to secure a playoff place in League One, lost manager Johnson to Barnsley in February and are currently looking for a replacement.