George Grierson insists it was always going to take something special to drag him away from the golf course.
Now after a seven-month self-imposed sabbatical from football he's desperate to tee up something big at Irvine Meadow.
Grierson was this morning unveiled as the man to succeed Colin Spence and James Latta in the Medda Park hotseat.
The opportunity presents him with his first crack at managing a top flight non-league club after spells in the lower divisions with the likes of Darvel, Kilwinning, Lugar, Muirkirk, Saltcoats and, more recently, Whitletts.
And he admits it's the chance he's been waiting for since taking his first steps into management 15 years ago.
Grierson told Ayrshire Football News: "When I left Whitletts, the chairman John Dalton said I had ambitions of working in the Premier Division. That's something I've never hid to be honest.
"It was about taking my time and making sure the next move was the right one. It had to be something pretty special to get me off the golf course to be honest!
"It goes without saying that Irvine Meadow are a big club at this level. They're in the Premier Division, they've got a good, healthy budget and I think they've got another gear or two to go up.
"The aim coming here has to be trying to win something. The committee all work so hard and they're desperate for success. I'll be doing everything to try and make that happen."
Grierson insists he's more than ready to manage a club of Meadow's size and stature as well as cope with the expectations of supporters.
He added: "I'm under no illusions about the job. I think it will be similar to managing Kilwinning when it comes to the demands of the fans so that will stand me in good stead.
"But I'm also at that stage of my career, after 15 years in management, that I'm more level headed about things than I would have been as a young manager."
Grierson will meet his new charges for the first time at training tonight as he sets about trying to quickly impose his ideas and preferred style of play.
He will be hoping to hit the ground running with Meadow on second round Scottish Junior Cup duty this Friday night away to Petershill.
"There's 22 players here so it's a big squad," said Grierson.
"Everyone will get a chance though and we'll see where we go from there.
"I actually watched Meadow a few times during my time out so I know a bit about the players there.
"In terms of what the fans can expect, we will be well organised and work very hard from the front.
"My teams tend to score a lot of goals so people can look forward to some attacking football.
"When I look at the defenders we have, I expect us to be solid at the back too.
"But the main thing I demand from my teams is that they give their all."
Grierson brings with him a vastly experience backroom team. He will be supported by trusted assistant Kevin Deeney, coaches Roland Fabiani and Ally McGhee with former Irvine Vics boss Iain McMillan performing match analysis duties.
Deeney has been Grierson's side-kick for the best part of a decade and Grierson joked: "He's delighted the two of us won't be spending our Saturday's doing the shopping at Silverburn!"
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