New Nottingham Forest boss Alex McLeish admits the job has come as a surprise.

Big Eck is on a mission to prove he is not damaged goods.

McLeish admits the Aston Villa job was draining. The fans never took to him after he joined from relegated city rivals Birmingham City, then objected to his style of football.

McLeish said: "It was a difficult job at Villa last season, but it was one that I met head on and it was great to get them over the line despite the catalogue of horrors.

"It was draining. I needed the break, I didn't want to come straight back in. There was no respite from the start to the finish.

"In the end, the glove just didn't fit. But I don't regret anything.

"I jumped from Birmingham right into Villa. There was a bit of disappointment at the end of the Birmingham tenure - so it's not easy going into another job when you're on a bit of a downer to start with.

"We blooded a lot of youngsters, maybe ahead of their time. And as you can see, it's up and down a bit just now for Paul. It's not an overnight job at Villa, it was a work in progress.

"So here we are back in the - as Mick McCarthy texted me - the asylum!"