Mark Wotte has revealed he was all set to quit Southampton to take a job in Egypt until a dramatic change in the club's circumstances.

The Dutch coach's future with the cash-strapped club looked to be in doubt as a Matt Le Tissier-backed consortium closed in on a deal to purchase the Saints.

It was thought that the group would look to appoint their own manager, prompting Wotte to book flights to Egypt in readiness to take up a post there.

But after the Pinnacle consortium pulled out of the running, Wotte was asked to take on the full-time role of manager.

"To be honest I booked my flight to Egypt for July 1 but when the Pinnacle group pulled out it changed everything," he told the Southern Daily Echo.

"I was ready to leave - not because I didn't like Southampton, I really wanted to stay, but for my pride I didn't want to continue preparing the team for somebody else."