FORMER Derby County favourite Dean Saunders has played down links with the vacant manager's job at Pride Park.

Wrexham boss Saunders, who scored 57 goals in 131 games for the Rams in the late 80s, expressed surprise that his name had been mentioned.

He is 8/1 with the bookies behind favourite Nigel Clough, Chris Hutchings and Aidy Boothroyd.

"It's the first I've heard of it and I have got a job to do where I am at the moment," said Saunders.

"I want to keep my head down and concentrate on trying to get Wrexham out of the Blue Square Premier at the first time of asking."

Saunders combines his Wrexham job with that of being assistant manager to Wales boss John Toshack but admits he has spoken to Derby in the past.

Speculation continues over who will land the manager's job at Pride Park.

Hutchings, who is in temporary charge, and Burton Albion boss Nigel Clough are being heavily linked with the position.

Boothroyd has hinted he would be interested.

The former Watford manager said: "There are a lot of very good managers around. I think every chairman and every board and every group of fans of any club know what they want, whether it is a younger manager or a senior one, who has been successful somewhere else.

"And they'll pick what they want.

"So what I bring and what the managers bring there are different. With a little bit of luck, I might stop getting linked with a job and finally get one. Who knows?"

Fans can dismiss reports they see linking Paul Ince and Alan Curbishley with Derby.

Ince, sacked by Blackburn Rovers recently, was in the frame when Paul Jewell was appointed last year but the Rams are not likely to hand Ince an immediate return to management.

Nor will they turn to Curbishley who has hinted he would turn down jobs in the Championship and hold out for a Premier League job.