Rodgers dismisses interest in Spurs job

Swansea manager Brendan Rodgers has shrugged off reports linking him with a move to Tottenham.

The 39-year-old’s side face Spurs this weekend, and he is rumoured to be top of Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy’s managerial list if current boss Harry Redknapp leaves to become England manager.

Rodgers, however, reiterated his commitment to the Welsh club and felt that talk of Redknapp’s exit was ‘disrespectful’.

“My only focus is Swansea, and Harry’s only focus will be Tottenham and I just think it’s disrespectful talking about him and the job he is in,” Rodgers said.

“He loves being at Tottenham and I know from talking to him when he was here in December that he enjoys being there.

“Likewise with myself, my only concentration and focus is on this job and trying to retain our status over the next eight games in this league.”

The Northern Irishman, who was voted the most impressive manager in a recent survey by his Premier League colleagues, accepted that speculation is a part of football.

However, he refused to be drawn on the future of Redknapp, who the favourite to succeed Fabio Capello as England manager.

“It’s part of British football, speculation, gossip, whatever you want to call it,” he said.

“When these reports come out you take them as they are, it fills a bit of a paper, people read it and it will probably be someone else tomorrow.

“Harry is Tottenham manager, he is clearly a candidate for the England job but at this moment he is Tottenham manager and to speculate about him coming out of there and someone going in while he is in a job, I don’t think it’s proper.”

Meanwhile, Spurs boss Redknapp has praised Rodgers for his work at Swansea and has been impressed by the attractive playing style of the promoted side.

The 65-year-old said: “He’s someone who has a fantastic future. I don’t know what his long-term plans are but certainly the job he has done at Swansea has just been amazing.

“I remember speaking to Frank Lampard a few years ago when he was at Chelsea and he was telling me how good he was then.

“I just think it has been fantastic that a team can come up and play the way they have played, pass the ball as they do.”