Source: SKY_Sports
Irvine plays down Boro link
Preston North End manager Alan Irvine insists reports linking him with the vacant Middlesbrough job are pure speculation.
The Lilywhites chief welcomes Boro to Deepdale on Saturday with Colin Cooper set to take over first-team affairs following Gareth Southgate's sacking on Tuesday.
Irvine has attracted admiring glances from a number of Premier League chairmen in the past having guided North End to the higher echelons of the Championship on a shoestring budget.
The former Everton assistant was approached by West Brom in the summer but since then the Scot has not been offered any more jobs.
"It's not been anything I've heard anything about other than being quite high up in the odds," he told Sky Sports News.
"It's nice people feel I'm doing a good enough job to link me with other jobs but until I hear anything different I am happy doing my job here and we will continue to work as I normally do. It has had no effect on me whatsoever.
"I had the opportunity to leave this summer, I chose to stay and I have not regretted that for a moment and I am not looking to move."
Irvine admits that he does want to manage at the highest level but is happy where he is for the time being.
"I do want to manage at the top level. When you come into this you have to have that ambition, I would be surprised if any manager did not want to manage at the very top," he added.
"I have not been presented with that decision apart from the West Brom job and so while I don't have a decision to make I'll keep doing what I'm doing."
