The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)

Mellon is ‘totally focused’ despite Rovers rumours

- CALUM WOODGER

Dundee United boss Micky Mellon says he is “totally focused” on the job at hand at Tannadice after being linked with the vacant manager’s post at Doncaster Rovers.

Mellon, who checked in at United last summer on a twoyear deal, spent the vast majority of his playing and coaching career down south.

After achieving promotions with Fleetwood Town, Shrewsbury and Tranmere Rovers, the 49-year-old Scot headed back north to his homeland to guide the recently-promoted Terrors to Premiershi­p safety. That achievemen­t, coupled with United narrowly missing out on the top six, reportedly alerted the English League One club to include him in their shortlist.

With Donny on the lookout for a replacemen­t for Darren Moore – and Andy Butler currently in interim charge – Mellon, pictured, emerged as a shock contender for the role.

Promotion to the Championsh­ip is the aim for the

South Yorkshire men and Mellon’s CV suggests he is capable.

However, United were quick to report that they had received no approach from Rovers to speak to their manager, with Mellon now confirming as much.

“I am genuinely fullyfocus­ed on the job I am doing’

“I have always only been focused on this job at Dundee United,” he said.

“I have never ever come in as a manager and courted another job.

“That is not the way you stay in the game.

“I am genuinely fully-focused on the job I am doing.

“That would only change if or when the club comes to me and they tell me they want to do something else or I have a conversati­on and tell them I want to do something else.

“We have not had that chat because there is no need to have it.”

“We are working hard to keep pushing the team forward,” added Mellon.

“I am at a good place where I know where all the young players are at and I also have a team that is developing and growing.

“With my conversati­ons with the chairman and (sporting director) Tony Asghar, they are saying that I will maybe have the opportunit­y to add in the summer to strengthen us going forward again.

“That is the only conversati­on I have had.”

Mellon says he has grown used to speculatio­n from his time managing down south.

In fact, the Tannadice gaffer has come to expect being linked with multiple vacant dugout positions at any given time.

He added: “I had this all the time in England where a lot of jobs would come

up and I would be linked with.

“Maybe people in Scotland knew my name but had never seen me work.

“Down in England, I have five promotions as a manager and three as a player.

“I have been in the game a long time and these sort of things would happen quite often.

“It is something I have learned to deal with.

“I always just get on with things and remain fully respectful of my employers and club.

“I would expect them to show the same respect to me.

“I am totally focused on Dundee United and that will remain the case until I am told otherwise.”

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 ??  ?? Micky Mellon: Insists he is ‘totally focused’ on United.
Micky Mellon: Insists he is ‘totally focused’ on United.

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