BRIAN McLean has left Morton after turning down an offer to stay at Cappielow.

The defender has been in talks with the club and revealed last month that the new deal to continue playing in Dougie Imrie's side included a coaching role - but the 37-year-old has decided against accepting the offer.

The veteran becomes the second player to turn down a new offer after midfielder Iain Wilson left last week to join League One side Queen of the South.

McLean admits it was a difficult decision to move on to pastures new after three years at Cappielow - but he feels it is the right move for himself and his family.

He told the Tele: "I have just spoken to the manager and made him aware of my decision to leave the club.

"It's in my family’s best interests that I move on and continue playing elsewhere, which I will be looking to do rather than at Morton.

"It wasn’t so much the playing time, that was never an issue.

"It has definitely not been the game time, I just think the offer that was on the table was to play and to coach.

"I just wasn’t willing to put myself into that role at the club. It was a difficult decision."

The former Motherwell man says his rapport with manager Imrie and his team-mates made it a difficult decision to leave Greenock.

He said: "It was actually just this morning that I informed the manager.

"We had a chat and I just let him know.

"In terms of what would have made me stay at the club, from a playing perspective it would definitely have been the manager, Andy Millen and a handful of other players at the club.

"Working with these guys is what would have kept me at the club.

"I enjoy working with them and that was a big reason to see out the season.

"But in terms of moving forward, to take a wage for the sake of taking a wage, I am not prepared to put myself in an environment regardless of the personnel that I get on with and have a lot of time and respect for, but football moves on."

McLean says he is in no rush to make a decision on where he hopes to continue his playing career.

He said: "I am not in a rush to be honest. Obviously I am a professional and I have been for over 20 years.

"I am looking after myself continuously throughout the calendar year, it is not as if you start taking time off, you have a bit of down time but you are doing something every other day.

"It is not a case of getting your feet up for the six or seven weeks of the off-season.

"It is just a case of waiting and seeing if I can find the right club for me.

"It has to be the right fit for both, if I have the opportunity to continue playing, I will do."

The defender, who leaves Cappielow after joining in 2019, wished everyone at the club well on his departure.

He added: "I hope the club can try and keep the main squad from last year.

"It is important to try and build towards the future and have a direction to go in.

"Unfortunately I just don’t want to put myself in the position to be a part of that."