Ronald Koeman has revealed he turned down offers to return to the Premier League to deal with his "disappointment" after his sacking by Everton.
The Dutchman left Goodison Park on October 23 after 16 months in charge.
"When the results are below all expectations, you know as a manager that people can make decisions about you," Koeman told the Sunday Mirror.
"And yet, it still hit me like a bolt out the blue.
"I had started something at Everton and I really wanted to finish it in a good way. This is why my disappointment is bigger than ever before. I have to be realistic and I am not moaning about it."
Everton invested heavily following last season's impressive seventh-place finish but, after taking four points from their first two games and managing the same tally from their next seven fixtures, chose to cut ties with Koeman.
The Toffees completed their search for a new manager with the appointment of Sam Allardyce in midweek - the 10th English club managerial position of the 63-year-old's career.
Everton won Allardyce's first match in charge, beating Huddersfield 2-0 thanks to Gylfi Sigurdsson and Dominic Calvert-Lewin goals, to rise to 10th in the table.
Koeman, 54, had been linked with the Leicester, West Brom and West Ham vacancies, and added: "I need to put those feelings of disappointment away first.
"This is the reason why I've not taken any of the offers - the offers were there immediately after leaving Everton.
"I had a few offers from the Premier League and a few more elsewhere in Europe."