Lowe is quick to dismiss latest Jephcott rumours

Interest from Championship clubs is a ‘load of bull’ according to Argyle manager

RYAN Lowe has described as ‘a load of bull’ the latest transfer speculation surrounding Plymouth Argyle’s 18-goal top scorer Luke Jephcott.

It was reported by a national newspaper earlier this week that Stoke City had sent head of recruitment Alex Aldridge to check out Jephcott.

Wayne Rooney’s Derby County and managerless Sheffield Wednesday were also mentioned in the same article as being interested in the 21-year-old.

Lowe responded to that report by calling it ‘lazy journalism’ and stated there had been no contact from any of those three Championship clubs about Jephcott.

The Pilgrims’ boss made the point that Rooney knew Neil Dewsnip, Argyle’s director of football, but formerly head of the youth academy at Everton, from his time at the Goodison Park club.

Lowe revealed there had been no phone call from Rooney to Dewsnip about Jephcott.

When asked for his response to the latest speculation about Argyle’s top scorer, Lowe made some strong comments.

He said: “I will tell you straight now, there has been no head of recruitment from Stoke at our games - fact - because they can’t get in unless we let them in.

“You can only go and watch the next three games who you are playing, so they haven’t been at our ground.

“And then I have got a relationship with someone at Stoke who is a member of the first team staff. I would like to think he would ring me, he never rang me.

“I would like to think Wayne

Rooney would speak to Neil Dewsnip if he was interested in Luke Jephcott. He hasn’t rang him.

“And I would like to think a member of staff from Sheffield Wednesday, and I know Thommo (Neil Thompson), who is the caretaker manager now, would ring me if they were interested.

“So to answer your question, it’s a load of bull, whoever it is coming from.”

Lowe described Jephcott as ‘a level-headed kid’ and does not want him to become distracted by all the transfer talk.

He continued: “I’m not saying there isn’t interest in Luke Jephcott but I think the clever clubs and people who do it properly go about their business right.

“I know probably two or three clubs who would be definitely interested in him, but they don’t have to go and say ‘We are watching this, we are watching that’.

“It’s just lazy journalism if you ask me. Someone is putting his name out there and rightly so, he is probably one of the hottest young prospects in the country at the moment.

“So there is definitely going to be interest, but there has not been any interest from any of those clubs to us, to Argyle.

“The way I look at it is the kid is just playing his football. I will be speaking to Luke today, telling him to just let it go over his head.

“Fortunate enough, I have been in the position he is in now so I can help him and guide him, of the rumours that come with it.”

Lowe added: “The only good thing is, it’s getting good recognition for the work we are doing, and the lads are doing.

“It’s not affecting us, it’s not affecting him, but there has certainly been no interest.”