Cotterill was due to take charge of his first game on Thursday against Charleston Battery at the National Sports Center in Blaine, as he started a seven-week stint as associate head coach and technical director for the remainder of the season.

However, a hold-up over his work permit has scuppered his chance of taking the opportunity, and he will now look to get back in the game in this country once the new campaign has kicked off.

Cotterill said: "I would need a work permit to do the job, and even though it was only for seven weeks – which would have been great – it will take too much time to sort out.

"It takes two weeks, by which time there would only be six games left of the season, so I decided it wasn't worth going over for that.

"It would have been ideal, because by the time their season ends in September, there would possibly be some vacancies coming round in this country.

"The people over there I spoke to were very nice, but it wasn't to be, and it was probably best for both parties that we look for something else."