Harry Redknapp has admitted he made a 'monumental mistake' in leaving Portsmouth for Southampton a year ago.
He walked out on Saints yesterday claiming his position was untenable after chairman Rupert Lowe refused an approach by Pompey counterpart Milan Mandaric to speak to his former manager.
Lowe, at the very least, wants compensation if Portsmouth want to take Redknapp back and he is also threatening to report their south-coast rivals to the Premier League for the way they have conducted themselves.
However, Redknapp has revealed just how miserable he was at Saints and, despite his very public fall-out with Mandaric last season, would welcome a return to Fratton Park.
"The last year has been the worst of my life and that is no exaggeration," he told The Sunday Mirror.
"I don't know what possessed me to leave Portsmouth in the first place. I'm an emotional man at the best of times but I made a monumental mistake walking out of Fratton Park and a day hasn't passed since I left the ground for the last time that I didn't regret my decision.
"The truth is I have had my rows with chairman Milan Mandaric but they were petty and the vast majority were my fault."
Redknapp added: "The only reason I remained at the club (Southampton) following relegation was I felt I owed it to the fans to get them back up but I would be a liar if I said my heart was in the job. Events this season have simply increased my desire to get away and once Portsmouth asked permission to speak to me this week I knew I had to go back.
"I have no intention of signing a long-term deal at Pompey. If and when I can get round a table with Milan I will make it clear that I will work without a contract for the rest of the season."
Lowe's decision to bring former England rugby world cup-winning coach Clive Woodward into the backroom staff was cited by many as one of the reasons for Woodward's unhappiness and he did not deny this.
"As a bloke I got on with him but I have to say the decision to bring him in was bizarre. The relationship between me and Clive was never going to work because there were too many people undermining the structure Rupert Lowe wanted at the club," he added.
In an open letter by Mandaric published in The Sunday Mirror the Pompey chairman said: "If I'm honest I never wanted Harry to leave in the first place. Of all the candidates Harry is the one which that stands out. The supporters have to trust me."
