Former Nottingham Forest manager Aitor Karanka has revealed more details about his departure from the club.

The 45-year-old parted company with Forest in January, after just over a year in charge at the City Ground, with the team seventh in the Championship table, just four points outside the play-off places.

The Spaniard was replaced by Martin O'Neill, but the club legend has been unable to guide the team into the play-offs.

During a recent interview, Karanka admitted that a chance to manage a club with the history and tradition of Nottingham Forest motivated him to get back into football, after a ten-month spell out of the game following his departure from Middlesbrough.

"I had many offers, but none had just convinced me and when Nottingham arrived, a historic team, with European Cups and so long without being in the Premier League. I was excited," Karanka told the Spanish newspaper Marca, as quoted by the Nottingham Post.

The Spaniard admitted that he was hoping to replicate what he achieved at Middlesbrough, where he guided the team to promotion to the Premier League during his third season in charge.

However, Karanka went on to reveal that the project at the club changed, leaving him to walk away from the club for the benefit of its fans.

“The project was to try to do what we had done at Middlesbrough: a first season of acclimatisation because the team had been saved the previous year at the last second, take a leap of quality in the second and try to climb, probably, in the third, but during the process that project changed a bit.

“There was some uncertainty and I decided to leave at a time when the next coach had room to manoeuvre with the signings.

“In the end, I decided to step aside for the history of the club, for the fans, for the players.”

Forest beat Middlesbrough 3-0 in the Championship at the City Ground on Monday afternoon, but will miss out on the play-offs this season.

The Verdict:

I'm sure Nottingham Forest fans will find these comments from their former manager very interesting.

Fair play to Karanka for his honesty and perhaps he feels that he owes the fans an explanation for his departure.

Given that the project at the club changed, it is perhaps easy to understand why he would leave.

Forest fans will be hoping that current boss O'Neill can strengthen his the squad in the summer, ahead of next season's promotion challenge.