Aberdeen interim manager Paul Sheerin is not treating his caretaker role as an audition but would happily return for an encore if asked.
The former Arbroath manager has been thrust into the spotlight at Pittodrie following the departure of Derek McInnes and Tony Docherty from the club last week.
The stage is his to show what he can do and while Sheerin knows a successful stint will enhance his prospects do not expect him to be throwing his hat in the ring anytime soon.
He said: “If it works out that way then so be it. I have been given an opportunity but it is not in ideal circumstances.
“I have taken over the interim role and I will do it to the best of my abilities.
“If it raises my profile then so be it but I not naïve. I know it can also work the other way and I also recognise that.”
How Sheerin fares could dictate in the pace of Dons chairman Dave Cormack’s search for a new manager and the interim boss knows the chairman is keeping a close eye on first team affairs from the United States.
He said: “I’ve spoken to the chairman. He’s obviously asked how the players have been, how training has been – he’s got a keen interest in that, seeing how things are going.
“In terms of short-term or long-term ambitions, he’s not really gone over too much.
“He’s just asked me to look after things for the time being and I’ll do that until such time as I’m told different.”
Sheerin and his fellow interim coaches Barry Robson and Neil Simpson have spent the last two weeks helping the players process the departure of their manager and he believes the squad will want to repay the faith shown in them by the former management team when they travel to Dundee United tomorrow.
He said: “Everybody feels it. The sharpness of how it happened last Monday, it meant last week was very subdued.
“It took us a bit of time to get back up and going again.
“But professional pride takes over, we’ve got a game to prepare for. Hopefully we get ourselves going again.
“The cynical side of football is that it has to move on. As much as everyone is disappointed that the gaffer and Doc have moved on, football also moves on.
“Hopefully we’ve prepared well enough for Saturday. I haven’t changed anything major, in all honesty.
“As much as results have been disappointing, I’ve still worked under the gaffer and Doc for seven years now, so there’s been no major change.
“We obviously recognise what needs to be better and we’ve recognised that for four or five weeks now.
“We need to turn results around and be a bit more positive at the top end of the pitch.”
