Nottingham Forest manager: Stuart Pearce turns down chance to return

The Championship club are seeking a successor to Billy Davies

Stuart Pearce says it's time for the players to accept their share of responsibility (Getty Images)

Former Nottingham Forest captain Stuart Pearce has turned down the chance to return to the club as manager.

Pearce, who played for the club for 12 years, said earlier this week that he still had managerial aspirations and described the job as an "outstanding opportunity" for the right person.

However, the 51-year-old feels he is not that man after holding talks with Forest owner and chairman Fawaz Al Hasawi about succeeding Billy Davies.

He told talkSPORT: "I've had a chat with them but at this moment in time, for personal reasons, I've decided not to take it any further."

Asked if he was tempted by the offer, Pearce added: "There was an emotional pull because I had 12 great years at that club."

Pearce is the second prospective candidate to turn down the chance to succeed Davies after his second spell in charge of Forest was brought to an end on Monday in the wake of the 5-0 defeat to local rivals Derby.

Neil Warnock rejected the Reds after claiming that he was unhappy with the conditions of the job.

Pearce declining the opportunity may have come as a surprise to Al Hasawi, who on Tuesday seemed confident about an appointment when talking about his search for a new manager.

"I can promise Nottingham Forest fans will be very happy with the signing. He's a good manager. He has a good record and everybody likes him," said the Kuwaiti following Forest's home defeat to Charlton.

"We have been speaking with the new manager. I don't want to say, but, yes, he has a (Forest) connection."

Pearce would have been a popular choice amongst Forest fans.

The tough-tackling left-back spent the majority of his career at the City Ground where he twice won the League Cup under Brian Clough.

During his final season with the club in 1996/97 he also had a brief spell as caretaker manager.

Stints at Newcastle, West Ham and Manchester City followed before retiring as a player and taking his first steps in coaching at City, who he would later manager following Kevin Keegan's departure.

A relatively successful spell in charge of the England Under-21 side followed during which time Pearce guided the Young Lions to the final of the UEFA Under-21 Championship in 2009 where they lost 4-0 to a talented Germany team.

Pearce took charge of the Great Britain Olympic football team at the London games in 2012 and that was his last involvement as a coach or manager.

PA