LATEST: Boss lined up for Portsmouth talks - until rival's move to land former Preston North End and Doncaster Rovers man

The Scot was yesterday named as Grant McCann’s successor after his sacking, as he returned to the Posh for a FOURTH time.

But it’s believed he was due to have an interview over the possibility of succeeding Danny Cowley at Fratton Park, after his sacking on Monday night.

Peterborough owner, Darragh MacAnthony, moved swiftly to make the appointment, with the Peterborough Telegraph this morning reporting the Irishman was heading off any possible developments over an arrival at Fratton Park.

Speaking on his Hard Truth podcast last night, MacAnthony said: ‘Seeing Darren at a potential promotion rival in League One didn’t sit well with me.

‘They are a big club with bigger crowds than us. If he’d gone for that interview I believe he would have got that job. He turned down a couple of good jobs in the summer because of ownership structures.

‘I left the Wycombe game 10 minutes before the end and I knew then I needed to make a change. I spoke with Jason the following day and we both reluctantly agreed it had to happen.

‘I had a list of five candidates, but getting a new manager in January is difficult if not impossible. We could afford to pay a £50k release clause for example, but it’s doubtful the managers I would want would leave their clubs mid-season.

‘I asked a mate of Darren’s if he would be interested in coming back and I was told he was willing to have a conversation and we did.

‘And when I thought about it, it just struck me as a no-brainer as I would be hiring a multiple promotion winner from League One who knows the club and the players, and who would be able to work night and day as he still lives locally. Why would anyone not want a re-energised Darren Ferguson back at a club where he has been so successful?

‘Darren wanted to make it a short-term appointment and we agreed that would be the best fit for all parties. He should never have left us the last time. We hadn’t given him the tools to be successful in the Championship which can happen at a club of our size, but he should have stayed and tried to get us back up. He’s an emotional man though and he felt he wasn’t getting the best out of the players.

‘I still want us to be promoted this season. We are an ambitious club that wants Championship football. We went through the club’s positions on and off the field and I asked Darren if he felt promotion was achievable and he said it was.’