Derek adams SPREAD

SCOTT BURNS

DEREK ADAMS insists he made the right decision to knock back an interview with Hearts to take a job with a team bottom of the English Football League.

Ann Budge was going through the selection process to find a replacement for Craig Levein.

The Jambos made their approach to interview Adams as he was going to sign his contract with League Two strugglers Morecambe.

Adams was never going to go back on his word and Hearts went on to continue their selection process that saw them end with former Barnsley boss Daniel Stendel.

He said: “Ironically, I was offered an interview there the day I was down at Morecambe sport@dailyrecord.co.uk signing my contract. Hearts are such a big club and it was appealing but I had already given my word to Morecambe that I was going to take their manager’s job.

“The owners and chairman at Morecambe are very good people and they were giving me the opportunity to manage again in England which was a big thing for me.

“It wouldn’t have looked good on myself to walk out of Morecambe for an interview at Hearts.

“I know that I made the right decision.”

The 44-year-old has built up an impressive managerial CV from his two spells with Highlanders Ross County and another at Plymouth.

And his stellar reputation has only grown since he took over at the Globe Arena.

Morecambe were joint bottom when Adams arrived and are now 10 points clear of basement boys Stevenage.

They are now odds on, with the lowest budget, to remain in the Football League with only one relegation place left this season after the demise of Bury.

Adams said: “We made changes in January to strengthen us and that helped.

“It’s a difficult league to come into midway through but the aim was to keep Morecambe in the Football League this season and then to build on that going forward.”

Since then he like the rest of football has been left to sweat over what is going to happen to football with the coronavirus crisis.

Adams has already seen it first hand as two of his players have gone into selfisolation after complaining of the symptoms.

Morecambe, like every other senior club, have had to close down and Adams admits both he and his club are in a state of limbo.

He said: “We are off until further notice.

“We have had two players who have complained about symptoms but since we took government advice and shut games and the training down we have not had anyone else with any similar issues.

“The players have been in isolation since Sunday and Monday and we will see how they are feeling after that.”

The EFL confirmed yesterday their league won’t restart until April 30 at the earliest.

Adams knows with the peak of coronavirus still to come that it looks increasingly unlikely their season will be completed.

And he reckons they might have to call the season null and void.

Adams said: “We only have two scenarios left – to play the season out up until June