Kenny Shiels will not give post-match interviews

New Morton manager Kenny Shiels says he will not conduct matchday interviews with the press after claiming he has been advised against it by his doctor.

Morton manager Kenny Shiels watched his team lose 2-0 last time out. Picture: Robert Perry

The Northern Irishman took over as Cappielow boss last month but has so far refused to speak to the media after matches.

He was forced to watch his first two matches in charge against Falkirk and Hamilton from the stands after serving a touchline ban hanging over from his spell as Kilmarnock boss.

Shiels was sacked by Kilmarnock in June just days after he was given a four-match ban, with two of the games suspended, for bringing the game into disrepute for questioning the impartiality of the Scottish Football Association’s judicial panel and the integrity of Celtic.

But now he says his doctor has told him to stop giving interviews after games for the good of his health.

“I have spoken with the doctor and you get emotionally imbalanced,” the 57-year-old told BBC Radio Scotland. “It’s important I don’t compromise my position as manager of Morton Football Club.

“There’s a name for it - you can’t help it. If someone asks you a question, you’re emotionally imbalanced at that time and you feel an urge to tell the truth.

“And, if you feel hard done by, you want to tell the truth about something that happened in the game and you become a victim of that. There are people out there waiting for you to drop your guard.

“It’s my nature that’s the biggest problem and Neil Lennon has that problem too at Celtic. He will tell you he is the same - when you are passionate about something and you put all your energies into it.

“I am probably not intelligent enough to deal with that because journalists can catch me. I don’t think it’s fair to condemn Scottish football. It’s not their fault, it’s my fault.”

Shiels says he will continue to meet with journalists at other times but has handed over post-match duties to assistant David Hopkins.

He added: “Journalism in promoting the game is so important and the Scottish journalists are brilliant at it.

“Every decision I make must be in the best interests of Morton and I’m very susceptible to being controversialised and it’s happened to me in the past. I’m not going to go down that road anymore.

“Therefore, in the best interests of the club, I think it’s better that David Hopkins does that on matchdays. David is very articulate and can put our point after the game.”