Gordon Smith has expressed his frustration at being unable to implement his vision for the future of Scottish football before taking the decision to walk away from the Scottish Football Association.
Smith quit his post as SFA chief executive last Monday after just under three years in the job and admits he was disappointed not to make the changes to the game he had hoped for before submitting his resignation.
"There's a degree of frustration in that and it's sad," he told the Scottish Mail on Sunday. "I've had a lot of ideas over time, stuff I've talked about before coming into the job. That's why it's difficult to walk away."
He added: "It wasn't an easy decision. But I've made it now, you just get on with it.
"If you are not happy in your work, you need to walk away. That's why I did it.
"The amount of time I was putting in, the hours I put into the job were unbelievable. Even just not getting to see my family and things like that were a factor.
"There was a negativity towards me, I knew where it was coming from and, while you work away, it became obvious.
"After a while you think 'I don't need this in my life, I can do without this'."
Source: PA
