HENRIK LARSSON was left “absolutely fuming” when his managerial move to Southend collapsed, as CQN reported.
The Celtic legend was poised to be named the English League One side’s new boss with former Hoops team-mates Johan Mjallby and Tommy Johnson joining him.
However, his return to football was scuppered when the ex-Aston Villa and Derby striker pulled out at the last moment.
Club chairman Ron Martin has revealed Larsson was upset after he had agreed to take over with Mjallby as his assistant and Johnson as Head of Recruitment.
As a former scout at Nottingham Forest, Watford, Blackburn and Cardiff City, Johnson’s appointment was key to the proposal as the Southend supremo wanted someone with a track record in English football.
Martin, speaking to talkSPORT, said: “All the contracts were agreed and he was Henrik’s man.
“When he pulled out, I think you could have knocked Henrik over with a feather.
“He (Larsson) and I get on really well and he is a pretty cool customer, but he was absolutely fuming when he got a call from Tommy.
“The rest is history. We did talk about who else could replace Tommy, but he didn’t have anybody else in mind.
“It just took the wind out of his sails and it disappointed us all.
“Tommy is going to another League One club. I did say: ‘If it’s money, tell us what we need to do’.
“I then spoke to Henrik, and he said,: ‘I couldn’t work with him’.
“I get that and that supports everything I think about Henrik. He is a principled guy and he didn’t want to work with a person who had just let him down.”
Larsson has been out of work since quitting Helsingborgs earlier this season, citing “personal abuse” as his reason for walking away from the club where he started his playing career and had also previously managed.
