Lowe tried hard to keep Strachan

Southampton chairman Rupert Lowe made “several” attempts to persuade manager Gordon Strachan to extend his contract.

Strachan will quit the club at the end of the season to take a break and so honour a long-held promise to his family.

The Scot intends to return to football management in the future but at present has no thoughts on when.

Lowe will be sorry to see Strachan go, although he admits they may appear an “unlikely partnership”.

“The chairman asked me to sign a new contract in the summer and he asked me again several times during the last five months,” said Strachan.

“I told him in October I would not be signing. He asked me several times to reconsider and he has been absolutely fantastic. He asked me what I wanted contract-wise but money was never even mentioned.

“It was nothing to do with that. I had to be fair to my family and I had given them my word. We hoped to keep it quiet until the end of the season but it was leaking out so we have been forced to say something.”

Strachan dismissed speculation that his decision to leave the club is stress-related.

The club announced yesterday morning that Strachan would not be renewing his contract at the end of the season due to “medical and other personal reasons”.

A statement on the club’s website www.saintsfc.co.uk suggested that Strachan needed “a break from the demands and pressures that are associated with being a Premier League football manager”.

But Strachan has revealed that while he needs a hip replacement operation he is otherwise in good health and is merely honouring a promise to his family.

The former Scotland international insists he had always intended to step down at the end of his Saints contract.

Strachan, who took over at Southampton in October 2001, said in a club statement: “It is not a football thing or about money or about the club.

“I made the decision with my family a few weeks after I took the job that I would see out my contract and then walk away.

“I am not going anywhere else and I am not cracking up so people can stop looking too deeply into it.

“It is not stress either. This is probably the least stressful time of my seven years in management. The only thing wrong with my health is my hip which needs replacing.”

Strachan first moved into management when he took over from Ron Atkinson at Coventry in November 1996.

He left the club in September 2001 after their relegation from the top flight but was installed at Southampton just over a month later following the departure of Stuart Gray.

He built on the success of Saints’ move to the St Mary’s Stadium and led the club to the FA Cup final and into the UEFA Cup last season.

They made a solid start to the current Premiership campaign, reaching fourth early in December only for their form to desert them in recent weeks.

Strachan has also denied that there any problems between him and Lowe.

“My relationship with the chairman is first-class. We are an odd couple but we get on fine,” he added.

“Everything about this club is magnificent and if anyone gets invited to take this job then my advice would be to jump at it.

“There are other things I want to do although I am not arrogant enough to think I can take a break and then get straight back into football.

“I made a promise two years ago and I am sticking by it – simple as that. Whatever happens, happens.”

Lowe was quick to pay tribute to Strachan, saying: “Despite the fact that we may appear an unlikely partnership, I have very much enjoyed working with Gordon over the past two-and-a-half years.

“His enthusiasm and commitment have inspired everybody and the club has moved forward during a crucial period after leaving The Dell and moving to the Friends Provident St Mary’s Stadium.

“Gordon has assured me that he will give 110% for the balance of this season in order to capitalise on our current position in the league. Our fans will be sad to see a man, whose passion matched theirs, taking time out of the game.

“I sincerely hope that everyone associated with the club will give Gordon and the team their full support for the balance of the season.”