Lee rejected Leeds chance
06 Feb 2008 - 10:49:36
New Leeds United boss Gary McAllister has revealed he failed in a bid to bring Sammy Lee to Elland Road as his assistant.
McAllister took the reins at the League One club last week following Dennis Wise's departure to Newcastle United.
However, he failed to persuade former Bolton Wanderers manager to join him at the West Yorkshire club.
But having being knocked back, McAllister instead turned to former Liverpool team-mate Steve Staunton to bolster his backroom staff.
"I did look to bring Sammy Lee in, but he's still negotiating with Bolton over his contract and that made the situation difficult," McAllister told the Yorkshire Evening Post.
"I told Sammy that I needed to get someone in straight away and he understood where I was coming from.
"It was fortunate for me that Steve was available and willing to take the job.
"Steve knows that I was going after Sammy initially, and it's not a case of him being second choice. Steve's an experienced guy in his own right and he fits the bill."