Smith shocked at axe from County

Alex Smith believes he leaves a talented young team

Alex Smith says he was surprised to be told he was no longer wanted as Ross County manager after coming back "refreshed" from holiday.

County chairman Peter Swanson told BBC Sport that it was a mutual decision as Smith wanted to pursue other interests.

But Smith, who had previously been asked to groom a successor, said: "We had agreed a new contract.

"I came back from holiday refreshed, but the goalposts had changed for some reason or another."

Smith had been with the First Division club since November 2002 and they flirted with relegation this season before settling for a mid-table position.

He lost assistant Jimmy Bone during the season as the club began a major cost-cutting exercise and he was asked to find a player-coach to work under him next season.

It won't dampen my enthusiasm for the game Alex Smith

But Smith was given the news that the board had changed its mind on the day he was told he had been awarded an MBE for services to football.

Smith had also been ousted at the end of his time with St Mirren, Aberdeen and Dundee United despite winning the Scottish Cup with the Buddies and Dons.

"Naturally, it has got to affect you in some way, but it won't dampen my enthusiasm for the game," said the 65-year-old.

"I certainly want to remain in it at some sort of level."

Smith admits that travelling from his Stirling base to County's Dingwall home had been a problem due to the long hours he had been putting in.

"It did become tiring, but I have the enthusiasm to overcome that," he stressed.

"But it's the club's prerogative to make these decisions and I have to respect that and it might tie in with what I want to do in the future anyway."

Smith believes that he leaves a young but maturing squad "bursting with ability" and a club with improving financial fortunes.

Swanson said that the club had been disappointed with the quality of candidate wanting to be player-coach and that the board had revised its position while Smith was on holiday.

The chairman predicted that County would announce a loss of £350,000 for the financial year but that cost-cutting would reduce that by a quarter of a million pounds.

He said that some players had already been released at the end of their contracts and a new manager would have to work within a strict budget.

Former Hearts head coach and Inverness Caledonian Thistle manager John Robertson, who still has a home in the area, is favourite to take over at Victoria Park Stadium.