Kenny Shiels said he was heartbroken to have left his role as Kilmarnock manager.
The Ulsterman has left Rugby Park by mutual consent with the club citing poor results and Shiels' disciplinary record within the media as major reasons for the decision.
However, the 57-year old was bitterly disappointed to leave the Killie hot seat, saying his only crime was loving the club too much.
"I'm heartbroken but that is football," Shiels said. "It's hard to take but I will just have to get on with it and try and get another job somewhere.
"I think I've left Kilmarnock in really good shape. We have got stability and I've built the foundations.
"But I feel that I've been the victim of falling in love with the football club.
"I tried to overprotect the club and that was my biggest weakness. I just want to apologise to the supporters for that.
"I treated the club like my family and I love my family. I loved the football club too. I didn't set out to harm the club but as I tried to protect it from what I felt where injustices, I became a victim of that."
