Paul O’Connell has dismissed speculation that he could return to a coaching role with Munster anytime soon.
The Munster and Ireland legend is leaving his post as lineout coach with Stade Francais at the end of the season by mutual consent.
O’Connell believes he needs to gain more experience before he’d have the confidence to make his mark back home.
“The coaches that are there [at Munster] are doing a fantastic job and I’m sure they’ll remain there,” he told RTÉ.
“I think you’d have to be very, very sure before you ever went back there or if they ever wanted you to go back there.
“For me, I’d have to gather a lot more experience to have the confidence to do the job well. I won’t be back there in the short-term future anyway.”
O’Connell, whose time in Paris will end halfway through his initial two-year contract, has previously been involved with the Munster Academy and Ireland U20s.
He says the structures in France don’t match how he would choose to run things or what he experienced in Ireland.
“I think they do some things very, very differently there to the way I would like to do them so I’ve decided to move on,” he said.
“It’s been a fantastic year for me and the family
“I suppose you learn how lucky we are in Irish rugby – the structure, the way it’s run is far better suited to the long-term development of the player.
“It’s very competitive from a business point of view in France. It’s very hard to think long-term there.
“I’ve really enjoyed my time there. I had a great relationship with the club.
“My little boy plays for Stade Francais as well so he’s a Stade fan for a long time to come.
“It has been a great year but there are a few differences in how we’d like to do things and that’s no big deal.”