Paul Cook's 'love' for Chesterfield is what brought him back to Spireites, he reveals in his first interview

The 54-year-old, a hugely popular figure with the fanbase, has returned to Chesterfield seven years after leaving.

He led Town to the League Two title and to the League One play-offs in his three-year spell and his fondness for the club was the reason he wanted to have another shot at managing the Blues.

In his first interview since being appointed this morning, a ‘delighted’ Cook told 1866 Sport: "Whatever experience I can give this club, I want to give with all my heart.

"My love for Chesterfield is purely on the basis on what they gave me so it is a perfect opportunity for me.

"I want to give the fans and the people who have brought me here everything that I have got.

"Our supporters passionately love Chesterfield Football Club and that is one of my fondest memories from my time here.

"I would not have dropped out of the Football League for any other team in the Conference, that is no disrespect to any other team.

"When the opportunity came around to come back here I was sitting at home thinking ‘why not?’

"Hopefully we can go up and go up again and restore the club to a place where I left it.

"My challenge now is to try and be successful in my present Chesterfield career as I have been at previous clubs.”

On his disappointing departure back in 2015 after the play-off defeat to Preston, he added: "I knew I was leaving the club no matter what but now I have got an opportunity to make those supporters happy again.”

Cook revealed that the board have asked him to look at all footballing aspects at the club to see where improvements can be made.

He also said there will be no immediate ‘big changes’ and praised Danny Webb, who will stay on at the club, for being a ‘safe pair of hands’ during his caretaker spell.

"We want a bit of stability and continuity at the club,” he explained

“We have got a ship that is steering itself very well at the minute. I want my introduction to be as quiet and calm as possible. Danny is doing an amazing job with the players at the minute, that will certainly continue into Saturday’s game. My first real week will be next week when I have an opportunity to get on the training ground with them a little bit more.”

Cook, whose first is at Weymouth on Saturday, admitted that the last two years have been ‘difficult' for him and that he wants to get back to enjoying being a manager again.

On his time at Ipswich Town, which ended in December, he said: “To start a league campaign and only be given 20 games I find very disappointing to say the least but that is football today.

"I have managed some really good clubs since my time at Chesterfield first time round but latterly I have not enjoyed managing football and that has been a big disappointment for me."

Away from football, Cook said that his dad sadly passed away last November and he had found his death ‘tough’ to come to terms with.

He says he returns to Chesterfield more ‘experienced’ and ‘wiser’ but not as ‘hot-headed.’

He laughed: “I certainly still like the odd fight with the referees which I think I am still going to have in the Conference that is for sure!”