He told the Daily Star: "Everybody now knows that I wasn't out of work for football reasons. I've got a record as good as most.
"I found it very surprising that it took me so long to get back in.
"I've not been working because somebody has been putting poison down for me. Now I'm back in the game and that can no longer cause problems.
"I don't know whether my reputation is being restored because that's not what I'm in it for.
"It's just one of those things that another club has shown interest when I've just been appointed somewhere."