MIDDLESBROUGH manager Chris Wilder has distanced himself from the vacant manager’s job at Bournemouth after Scott Parker was sacked earlier this week.

Parker was relieved of his duties three games into the Premier League season following their 9-0 defeat against Liverpool at the weekend. The manager’s comments on the Cherries recruitment after the game, which include signing Marcus Tavernier, appear to have prompted the board to make the decision.

Wilder has been installed as one of the early favourites for the job alongside former Burnley manager Sean Dyche and former Boro boss Jonathan Woodgate who took interim charge of Bournemouth in 2021 steering the club into the play-offs.

His ambitions of managing in the Premier League are broadly known but he is currently tasked with the job of steering Boro to the top flight of English football which is something he intends to stick with.

“I signed a two-and-a-half year deal nine months ago so I’m deep into that” said Wilder. “I enjoy working at the football club as you’ve seen. We are working extremely hard in terms of what we are trying to do and what we are trying to achieve.

“The focus for me has been on the rebuild, players coming in and preparing the team in the middle of a really tough transfer week of football. Game on Saturday where we are desperately trying to get our first win and again tonight and then again on Monday.

“You can’t stop speculation. You just have to ride with it and go with it.”

Last season, speculation mounted for weeks on end that Wilder was primed to take the job at Burnley after the sacking of Dyche in April. However, he pinned his colours to the mast towards the end of the season as Boro missed out on a place in the Championship play-offs.

This time around, Wilder was emphatic in his message as he continued: “I’m not going anywhere. I’m here and got my head down and working towards the weekend.”

Boro’s next game in the Championship comes against Sunderland next Monday where they will welcome newly appointed boss Tony Mowbray to the Riverside Stadium.