CHRIS WILDER has once again refused to rule out leaving Middlesbrough to take over at Burnley, with the bookmakers continuing to make the Boro boss one of the favourites to succeed Sean Dyche at Turf Moor.

Wilder watched his Boro side’s promotion hopes suffer a major blow this afternoon as goals from Naby Sarr and Jordan Rhodes condemned them to a 2-0 defeat at the hands of Huddersfield Town.

In the immediate aftermath of the game, the former Sheffield United boss was asked a direct question about the speculation linking him with Burnley, and as was the case at Bournemouth on Good Friday, he refused to categorically rule out joining the Clarets if he was to be offered a managerial position at Turf Moor.

“Listen, I’m an emotional guy,” said Wilder. “We’ve just got beat from a footballing point of view. I’ve just got beat as manager of Middlesbrough, so I can’t stop any of that stuff (Burnley speculation), but I’m not so sure it’s the right time to ask anything like that after a really disappointing defeat from our point of view.”

Later in the press conference, Wilder was given another opportunity to clarify his position, but while he stressed how much he was enjoying working at Middlesbrough, he once again failed to draw a line under the Burnley links.

“I just don’t think there’s a way out of talking about it,” he said. “I think it’s really unfair on anybody. I’m manager of Middlesbrough – nobody knows what’s around the corner for anything, do they? I don’t know what you want me to say or what you want me to do.

“You’re after me dropping my guard and saying something daft. I’m Middlesbrough manager, I’m enjoying working at Middlesbrough, but we’ve just been defeated. Do you want me to come out with a boring one of ‘I’m flattered by whatever because we’re winning games of football?’ Well, we haven’t won today. So, that’s basically where it’s at.”