Paul Jewell hopes to be able to prove he is a better manager having returned to football with Derby after a six-month sabbatical.

Jewell was named as Billy Davies' successor after a whirlwind 24 hours began with a phonecall from Rams chairman Adam Pearson and ended with him being unveiled at Pride Park this morning.

Having quit Wigan in May after keeping them in the Premier League with a 2-1 victory over Sheffield United on the final day of last season, Jewell could not resist the challenge offered by Derby.

And he believes he has benefited from the break, dismissing suggestions he left the Latics because he could not handle the pressure of managing in the top flight.

"I was never ill. I was never in a straitjacket as some people might have thought," said the 43-year-old.

"All I wanted to do was walk away from Wigan with my head held high.

"There were absolutely no health reasons. I just wanted a rest from football and I'm not ashamed to say that.

"I enjoyed my time and I'm refreshed and hopefully I can come back a better manager.

"I've taken my time out of football to reflect on how I can get better. That time has not just been spent playing golf, as some people might think, I've done a lot of travelling and watched a lot of football to try to improve myself as a manager."

Jewell, who turned down a couple of offers to return to management during his time away from the game, has signed a three-and-a-half-year contract and stressed he considers Derby a long-term project.

However, with the team bottom of the Barclays Premier League with just six points he knows he must first focus on survival.

Derby's plight is not as bad as it could be as although they have won only once in 14 matches, such is the poor standard in the lower half of the table they are only four points from safety.

Jewell certainly thinks he can pull off another great escape - having achieved it with Bradford and Wigan already in the top flight.

"If I don't believe it, if the players don't believe it, if the fans don't believe it we have no chance," he said.

"It's going to be very difficult - I'm a realist - but I'm not here to wave the white flag with 20-odd games to go. We're not adrift."

Jewell will meet his new squad for the first time at training tomorrow and will leave them in no doubt as to what he expects in order to rescue the club from falling back into the Championship after one season in the top flight.

"You are starting with a clean piece of paper and it's up to you to prove you should be in the team and are good enough to play in the Premier League," was his message to the players.

"As long as the players give everything they have got you can't ask for any more. But I won't be asking that I will be demanding it and I'm sure I will get that response from the players.

"We have to work together and try to get out of the mess."

There will be money available to strengthen the squad in the transfer window - something predecessor Davies had been vociferous about - and Jewell does have his targets.

However, he will not be going on a spending spree just for the sake of it.

"People talk about the January window but you have to be careful about who you bring in," he added.

"I've got a decent portfolio of players we would like to bring in if available."

Paul Ince had been linked with the Pride Park job - his League Two club MK Dons issued a statement on Wednesday saying they rejected an approach from Derby - but the recently-installed Rams chairman claimed Jewell was the best man to replace Davies.

"Paul (Jewell) is a stand-out candidate with regard to managerial experience in both the Premier League and the Championship," said Pearson.

"I was very interested in Paul Ince but Milton Keynes didn't give us permission (to speak to him).

"In the end we needed that little bit of experience. I got a call from Paul Jewell's agent and my attention switched, but I think we should watch out for Paul Ince as a manager."

PAUL JEWELL FACTFILE

1964: Born September 28, Liverpool

1982: After coming through the ranks at Liverpool, striker Jewell spends two seasons at his hometown club, but does not make a first-team appearance.

1984: Joins Wigan where he goes on to score 35 goals in 137 league appearances.

1988: Signed by then Bradford manager Terry Dolan for £80,000 and scores 56 goals in 269 league appearances.

1996: Appointed reserve team boss at Valley Parade.

1998: Succeeds Chris Kamara as Bradford manager in January.

1999: Guides City to automatic promotion to the Premiership in his first full season in charge. The Bantams pip Ipswich to the runners-up spot behind First Division champions Sunderland.

2000: May 14: Despite being in the bottom three for most of the season, City pull off a miraculous escape by beating Liverpool 1-0 on the last day of the season to retain their Premiership status.

June 18: Reveals he wants to resign as Bradford boss, claiming he had lost his enthusiasm for the job. Bantams chairman Geoffrey Richmond turns down his request, placing him on paid leave.

June 20: Bradford give Sheffield Wednesday - relegated to Division One the previous month - permission to talk to Jewell.

June 21: Jewell takes over as Wednesday manager.

October 28: Sheffield Wednesday make a poor start to the new season, taking just 12 points from their first 15 games, with Jewell berating some of his players for lacking commitment to the cause.

December: Charged with misconduct by the Football Association for making "insulting and abusive comments to match officials" during the Worthington Cup quarter-final against Birmingham, which results in a fine and a touchline ban.

2001: February 9: Chairman Howard Culley claims he has the "utmost faith" that Jewell will save the club from relegation.

February 12: Sacked as Owls boss following a run of five successive defeats and two wins in their last 13 matches, with the club rooted to the foot of the First Division.

June 12: Appointed manager of ambitious Division Two side Wigan Athletic.

2003: May: Jewell leads Latics into the Championship in his second season in charge as they storm to the League One title with a 100-point total.

2004: May 9: West Ham striker Brian Deane scores a 90th-minute equaliser on the final day, enabling eventual play-off winners Crystal Palace to pip the Latics to sixth place.

2005: May 8: The final day proves to be a happier occasion the following season as Jewell guides them to second - clinching promotion to the top flight for the first time in their history.

October 14: Named Barclays Premiership manager of the month after going unbeaten in September.

2006: February 26: Leads Latics to the Carling Cup final - their first ever domestic final - but they freeze on the occasion, going down 4-0 to Manchester United.

May 7: Athletic finish a creditable 10th in their first season in the Barclays Premiership.

2007: March 15: Charged with improper conduct and/or bringing the game into disrepute by the Football Association following comments made about referee Phil Dowd after the defeat to Arsenal on February 11.

April 30: Claims Premier League "bottled it" when an independent commission fined West Ham £5.5million over the breach of transfer rules in signing Carlos Tevez and Javier Mascherano.

May 5: Jewell's side slip into the bottom three for the first time in the season following defeat to Middlesbrough and West Ham's 3-1 win over Bolton.

May 13: For the second time in seven years, victory on the last day of the season ensures survival for Jewell's team, as Wigan's 2-1 win at Bramall Lane subjects Sheffield United to the drop.

May 14: Resigns as Wigan boss declaring himself "physically and mentally drained".

November 13: Reveals he turned down a "fabulous offer" to return to Wigan following the swift departure of predecessor - and former assistant Chris Hutchings.

November 16: Admits holding talks about the vacant Republic of Ireland job.

November 28: Unveiled as Billy Davies' successor at Derby.

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