Paul Jewell rejected a return to Wigan Athletic earlier this season because he did not want to be viewed as two-faced and money-grabbing. For the first time since quitting the club at the end of last season, Jewell returns to the JJB Stadium tomorrow as manager of Derby County.

Jewell opted to walk away 24 hours after David Unsworth had scored a match-winning penalty in the 2-1 victory at Sheffield United on the final day of last season to keep Wigan in the Barclays Premier League. But he was offered the chance of a come back just six months later by Dave Whelan, the Wigan chairman, following the sacking of Chris Hutchings in November.

With WIgan in the bottom three at the time, the package is understood to have included a £2 million staying-up bonus. Jewell, though, decided to remain true to his principles. "I was tempted, because I've a lot of affinity for Wigan," he said. "I certainly feel I could have kept them up, because Chris had made some good signings.

"Right now I feel they're the best team in the bottom six, with the best individual players. I have to admit a lot of money was offered. But I had given my word six months ago that I had taken the club as far as I could."

It was a step with which Jewell simply could not have been comfortable. "For me to go back for the money would have been the totally wrong thing to do," he said. "I always ask players for commitment. Yeah, money is important in life - but I've honesty and pride.

"The world of football is full of people who do one thing and say another, and I didn't want to be one of them. So for me to have gone back six months later, it wouldn't have been for the right reasons, and it wouldn't have been right for Wigan Athletic or Paul Jewell."

But for Unsworth's penalty, Jewell concedes he would not now be the Derby manager - because there is no way he would have quit Wigan on the back of relegation. "If we had gone down then I would have stayed because I would have felt I'd have been walking away from something I'd had a big part to play in," Jewell said. "I would have felt responsible for us going down, and so I would have felt it my responsibility to get us back up again.

"It's easier to walk away from something when you've left it in a good position, even if it was a struggle last season. So I felt very proud that I kept Wigan up, but then pleased to leave, and I'm now so happy to be here with Derby."

That is despite the fact that Derby are destined to return to the Coca-Cola Championship, and Jewell has yet to savour a win with his new club after 15 matches in charge. "I'm frustrated because I really want to give the fans something to cheer about - and it's not happened yet," he said. "It would be nice to get that win tomorrow - not because it's Wigan, but simply because it's the next game."

Steve Bruce, the Wigan manager, hopes his team can exploit the return of Jewell to claim three crucial points tomorrow. "I think the better atmosphere, the bigger and better occasion, the more it helps the players and the more you enjoy it," Bruce said. "I know the club have put out a big load of tickets and given a lot to the community to make it a big atmosphere and we hope that can inspire our players to big things."