Mark Burton admits he would love to manage Barnsley FC on a permanent basis one day but says he is totally in support of new boss Lee Johnson.
The 42-year-old from Barnsley spent 13 days in charge of the first team following the sacking of Danny Wilson and, after a 5-1 thrashing at Crawley 48 hours into the role, gained wins and clean sheets against Crewe and Scunthorpe.
"Being honest, I would like to be manager of Barnsley at some point," said Burton, who will now return to his role as head of academy coaching.
"I am ambitious but I am realistic. Lee Johnson is the right choice for the club and I am 100 per cent behind him. I went for dinner with Lee on Wednesday night and he seems like a top bloke and a fantastic young manager.
"I think we will work well together. I said all along that I would look after the team for as long as I was needed then I would support whoever they chose as manager and that is exactly what I'll do.
"I haven't been told if I was ever a realistic contender for the job. Maybe I would have been if I had won all three games but it doesn't matter. I am proud of what we have achieved in the last two weeks."
Burton says the last fortnight has been the most intense of his life and that he has been struggling to sleep. But he also loved the opportunity.
"I captained my hometown club at every level, including for the first team at Bristol City when Gerry Taggart got sent off and I took the armband," said the former midfielder who played seven games for the Reds in the early 1990s. "Now I have managed the first team and won two games. I will never forget that and no one can every take it away from me.
"I will remember the fans' reaction after the game at Scunthorpe forever. It was the proudest moment of my life apart from the birth of my kids.
"I used to be stood where those fans were stood. I can remember going to watch Barnsley draw 3-3 at Stoke City in the FA Cup (in 1989) when I was a teenager and nearly being crushed by the crowd."
Burton says his experience with the first team has made him keen to do more of the same in future but, for now, he is focused on the Oakwell academy. He said: "I am staying at Barnsley. I don't want to work anywhere else. I have got a project here with the young players and I want to drive the club forward along with the first team manager. We have got some fantastic young players and we need to keep the production line going.
"My time with the first team will make me better at developing youth players because now I know how intense first team football is these days and I can prepare the lads for it better than before."
