Fleetwood Town striker Declan McManus, who has enjoyed three loan spells at Morton in the past, won’t be returning to Cappielow for a fourth time after rejecting an offer to come back to the club.

McManus is under contract at Fleetwood for another season, but the forward spoke to Morton boss Jim Duffy about the possibility of joining up with his squad again next season.

He couldn't be persuaded however to return to the place where he scored five goals in the second half of last season.

McManus told SportTimes: “I spoke to Jim Duffy and the club and they put an offer to me, but it wasn’t what I wanted. I love Morton, I love the place, I love the boys and Jim has done a lot for me, but I’ve got a family and I need to look after them first.

“There’s no doubt that I owe them a lot at Morton and I really enjoyed my time there, but it just wasn’t exactly the deal that I wanted. As I said, my family and my wee one are my top priority and they have to come first.”

McManus hasn’t ruled out the possibility of returning to his homeland with another club.

The former Aberdeen youngster enjoyed being back closer to home, and he says he would be open to the right challenge whether it presents itself north or south of the border.

“It was good to be back up in Scotland and it was good to be enjoying my football again,” he said.

“My fitness levels weren’t the best when I first came back up because it had been a wee while since I had played down the road, so it took me a few weeks to really get up to speed and get used to it again.

“The Championship is a tough league, but once I found my form I felt I did quite well. I won the player of the month award and managed to get myself a few goals, and if anything the end of the season came a bit too soon for me because I was really getting back to my best.

“Hopefully I can keep that form going into the new season, wherever I’m playing.

“It can be an uncertain time being a footballer during the summer, especially going back to a club after being out on loan and you don’t know if you will get a chance or not. That can be difficult.

“I feel as if I’m good enough to make an impact in English football, whether that’s at Fleetwood or not, but I wouldn’t rule out returning to Scotland either.

“You’ve just got to have faith that you are a good player and that you will get an opportunity, or maybe an offer from elsewhere that reflects your ability.

“I honestly don’t know what’s going to happen next season. I might stay at Fleetwood, or if the right club comes in with the right offer then I’d have to consider that.”