Paul Lambert has no regrets taking the job at Aston Villa.
Lambert was sacked by Villa this week.
Lambert said in a statement issued through the League Managers' Association: "I am extremely proud to have managed Aston Villa, a founder member of the Football League, and this sentiment will always remain with me.
"My initial remit was to conduct a massive overhaul of the playing squad, lower the overall wage structure of the playing staff and achieve this whilst keeping the club in the Barclays Premier League.
"There was also a concerted effort to purchase and develop younger players who would provide a solid footing for the football club to move forward and enhance the value of the playing squad in the future.
"When I came on board the club's owner, Randy Lerner, warned me that I was embarking on the toughest challenge of my working life and he was not wrong.
"But I have never stepped away from hard work and I put my heart and soul into the job from my first day until my last."
