TONY Mowbray insists he is not unnerved by "strange" reports this week linking Sunderland with a new head coach - and would "love" to still be in charge next season.

Mowbray has done a tremendous job on Wearside since taking over in August, with Sunderland on the verge of making the Championship play-offs - making this week's links with Francesco Farioli all the more baffling.

The Italian is out of work having recently left Turkish Super League club Alanyaspor and has been linked with a string of clubs including Watford, with reports earlier this week claiming the 34-year-old is being lined up to take charge of Sunderland in the summer.

Mowbray said he was inundated with messages after the links emerged, and although he hasn't held any talks with club officials, the current boss's current contract runs until the end of next season and he has absolutely no intention of walking away from a job he loves.

Mowbray said: "As you would expect, I got 50 people sending me the same article. I'm not sure where it comes from.

"What I do know about professional clubs, and this could be highlighted by a Chelsea or a Tottenham at the moment, if clubs don't have succession plans, maybe they get ridiculed somewhere along the line.

"It didn't really unnerve me. I've been in football a long time and I sit here pretty relaxed about how I managed clubs and teams and what we can do.

"I haven't really had conversations about that situation but I was made aware of it by a lot of people who do go on social media.

"I don't know the answer, it's not my domain, but it hasn't unnerved me. I'm really energised, I really enjoy working with this team and players. That's why I'd like to finish the season strong and whatever the summer brings, if the club has other ideas, then that's their prerogative, that's fine.

"I also heard somebody had written somewhere about me thinking of retiring. It makes me laugh. I get up before six o clock every morning and love that drive down the A19 because I know I'm going to work with some amazing young footballers who want to try and get better. And the people I meet from this city have all been really positive. We've had some days where things haven't gone our way but the fans have been really supportive.

"It's a strange scenario but it's not in my control and I'm not the person you should be asking."

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Mowbray says what happens in the summer is ultimately out of his hands but he hopes he's still in charge next season.

"It's not going to be my decision. I've been asked by others and there's not a lot I can say," he said.

"I really feel and appreciate the warmth I've had from supporters I've met.

"I don't know what the summer will bring at this moment, the best-case scenario is that we win five games and get into the Premier League and how exciting that would be. Or we finish mid table because we can't get those wins, and we'll wait and see what happens.

"It's been a really enjoyable time for me, you want to manage huge clubs and this one of those. It's an amazing place to work, to come in every day, and I'm fully energised every single day to come in for the next challenge. Hopefully we win a couple of games and that next challenge is the play-offs.

"I would love to stay, but it's not my decision."