Rob Edwards has commented for the first time since reports put him among contenders to take over from Vitor Pereira at Wolves.
The current Middlesbrough boss had a four-year playing career at the Old Gold from 2004 to 2008 and has Boro in second place in the Championship.
Reports on Sunday suggested he was shortlisted by Wolves as they looked to replace Pereira after a dismal run in the Premier League.
Edwards took over from Michael Carrick at Middlesbrough in the summer after the Championship side sacked him after finishing tenth. The former Manchester United midfielder is another name linked.
Carrick has responded to the chance of taking over at Wolves, but right now, it appears Gary O’Neil is the frontrunner.
The decision is yet to be made, and now Edwards has responded to the links.
Rob Edwards responds to Wolves links
Middlesbrough are gearing up to take on Leicester City in the Championship on Tuesday, with Rob Edwards fielding questions ahead of the game.
Of course, with his name in the hat for the Wolves job, it was to be expected he would be asked about it.
The Boro manager has seemingly played down any chance of him making the switch and says his focus is on the Championship side.
Edwards said, “I was told [about the Wolves links] by my daughter yesterday. I can understand the links to my former club, but my full focus is on the brilliant job that I have here.
“It’s hard for me to comment on speculation and anything else that isn’t Middlesbrough Football Club. All I care about is trying to win against Leicester City tomorrow.”
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Edwards is not the only former player in the mix for the job. Robbie Keane has put his name into the hat in what would be his first job in English football.
Keane has impressed in Hungary, and appointing the Old Gold academy graduate would be a shrewd decision.
Rob Edwards would have been perfect for Wolves in two ways
With Wolves seemingly heading for relegation, Rob Edwards would have provided them a safety shield for next season, as well as a chance to survive this campaign.
In the event that Edwards was unable to claw the Old Gold out of the relegation zone, he has proved himself to be a capable Championship manager.
Looking forward to next season in England’s second tier is not what fans want to be thinking about, especially with so much football still to play.
But giving yourself a good chance of surviving, as well as a better opportunity to get instantly promoted again, would be smart.
That choice may now be out of Fosun’s hands, and it seems like Gary O’Neil will be the man to take the helm.
However, David Ornstein is not expecting a decision this week.