JOE Kinnear turned down the chance to become Oxford United's boss when chairman Firoz Kassam offered him the job several months ago.

But the former Wimbledon manager turned down the opportunity because the club's future was still up in the air.

Kinnear, who became general manager this week, admits that Kassam sold him the club in their latest discussions and that's what prompted him to take it this time around.

"I was offered the job about four or five months ago," he revealed. "But there was nothing cast iron here and the future was still uncertain.

"However, now Mr Kassam has got the all-clear on the stadium and cinema, he sold me the future of the club and I am delighted to be here."

Kinnear originally agreed to a consultancy role at the club, but after further talks with Kassam, agreed to his new role.

"I will be going to all matches and I've really missed being out of the job, so I'm delighted to be back and delighted to be at Oxford."

Kinnear, who promises a fresh injection of players, says he has lost none of his desire to be a winner.

"We're all ambitious in the fact we want to be successful and, with Firoz's backing and he's already given enough backing as far as the club's involved we just hope it's a new chapter.

"With new faces in here, who knows?

"But all three of us, myself, David Kemp and Alan McLeary want to turn this situation around."