STUART McCall insists his decision to return to Valley Parade was made with his head and not his heart.

The legendary former midfielder is back at City again for a second spell as manager following two stints as a player.

He has quit his coaching job with the Scotland national team to take the reins at City following Phil Parkinson's recent defection to Bolton.

Facing the media for the first time since his appointment was confirmed, McCall was yesterday keen to draw a line under his previous spell in charge.

He left City in February 2010 after a 133-game reign, admitting he was drained by the job, but has since enjoyed stints at Motherwell, Rangers and the Scotland national side.

Asked whether his emotional attachment to the club has played a part in his decision to return, 52-year-old McCall said: "It's not an emotional decision, it's a professional one, and coming here was a no-brainer.

"Don't get me wrong, everyone knows my affection for this club. But it's about a desire and a determination to be successful and build on what I've done in the last four or five years and the progress the club has made.

"This is a fantastic football club and a great opportunity. People said never go back as a player – but I did come back and had a little bit of success, so it's all positive.

"I've obviously been out of day-to-day management for a year now (since leaving Rangers) and have had opportunities to go back.

"I said only a month ago that I was ideally looking for a club with a good fanbase with a good structure that matched my ambitions in terms of what I want to do with a football club."

McCall explained: "This is the perfect fit for me. Last time certainly wasn't the perfect fit but it is now.

"I don't like to keep looking back but, the last time I was here, we had just dropped into the bottom division.

"In hindsight, I let my heart rule my head because it was a place I wanted to come to.

"But it was a totally different football club then to what it is now and I was a totally different manager.

"I was a rookie – I came from the Premier League into the bottom division and didn't know the level or the players.

"But I'm certainly a different person and a different manager – and the club is a very positive place to come into. I think it'll be a good fit.

"Without going back over old ground, it was probably the worst timing because the club had hit rock-bottom and gone into the fourth division.

"In the second season, we had a good budget to do better and missed out on the play-offs by two points. Thereafter, we went back to the old budget and it was difficult.

"But we managed to bring in James Hanson for £250 and Jon McLaughlin for £250, who have gone on to be top players.

"That's not quite where we are going to be shopping this time – but there is always a bargain out there.

"I come with a focus now and I'll do the job with less emotion."

McCall signed a two-year deal after interrupting a family holiday in Tenerife last week to meet the club's new German owners Edin Rahic and Stefan Rupp.

"They are two very ambitious guys, energetic and enthusiastic, and I'll have to learn a little bit from them and, likewise, they will have to learn from me," said McCall.

"All the meetings have been positive and we just want to maintain the momentum that has been built up in the last few years at the club.

"I was sad and disappointed when I saw Phil had left because he did a fantastic job here.

"The general conception was that the new owners had somebody already lined up, so I was surprised to get a phone call.

"I had just landed on holiday and the owner rang and asked me if I would send my CV in and come and meet him, which I did.

"I had a four-hour meeting with Edin, flew back, and it went fairly quickly from there. It's going to be a huge challenge but one that I'm really relishing."