My focus is on Leicester – Rodgers responds to Tottenham speculation

Leicester boss Brendan Rodgers dismissed links to the Tottenham job and insisted he wants to progress at the Foxes.

Spurs are looking for a new manager after Jose Mourinho was sacked on Monday.

They are seventh in the Premier League and face Manchester City in the Carabao Cup final on Sunday, with former midfielder and current academy coach Ryan

Mason put in charge until the end of the season.

Under Rodgers, Leicester have become top-four challengers and reached their first FA Cup final for 52 years by beating Southampton on Sunday. Rodgers has been at the King Power since February 2019 and wants to continue his work.

He said: “It’s football, there is always speculation around, every job which comes up there will always be different managers speculated to go in.

“Tottenham is a fantastic club, it’s a huge club but my focus is here. I’m at a worldclass training facility, the project we’re in here we still want to develop and have a lot of work to do.

“I have a great connection with the players, the board and we have plans to keep progressing. While I have the energy, the happiness and see that challenge continuing I’m very happy to be here. You can’t stop gossip but I don’t think about it.”

Rodgers, though, insisted Mourinho’s quality should not be in doubt despite leaving Spurs after 17 months in charge.

He said: “Jose is a worldclass manager. The thing which disturbs me a little is how it gets questioned. What he has done in the game, he should be able to position the expectations. He has earned that respect to be able to do that. You are not a world-class manager one day and then you go to a job and it doesn’t quite work out and you’re not. He is clearly a winner, he will always be a winner.

“I’m disappointed for Jose, I know him personally and know he is a world-class manager, he has shown that over his career.

“He is a manager who has won and unfortunately for him that hasn’t happened at Tottenham. Their expectation is to win titles and compete at the top end of the league. I have empathy for any manager who loses their job.”

The Foxes host West Brom tomorrow and Ricardo Pereira is expected to be fit despite coming off in the 1-0 FA Cup semi-final win over Southampton with a tight calf.