MICHAEL BEALE has opened up on current speculation linking him to the vacant managerial position at Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Former boss Nuno Espirito Santo was touted as a surprise contender for the role, while QPR manager Beale – Steven Gerrard’s former assistant at Aston Villa and Rangers – is reportedly also now on the shortlist.
Beale has also been discussed as a potential managerial option at Ibrox if the position became available.
Speaking about the recent links in his press conference today, Beale admitted he was fully focused on matters with his current side QPR.
He said: “I have been surprised by the amount of noise, and try not to look too much. But even family and friends and people that know you start asking.
“I had a really honest face to face conversation with Les Ferdinand on Monday. The club has had no contact, I have had no direct contact either. It is the media writing the stories.
“It is my first job at QPR and I couldn’t be happier with the way it is going with the owners, staff and players. And I am in a great place in my personal life with my family as well.
“The outside noise is not that important and the only thing I can draw from it is that as a club we must be doing quite well.
“And I can take confidence from that. But my focus Is on a huge game tomorrow and getting back to positive ways after a really disappointing day at Luton at the weekend.
“That is what I have been carrying around with me, not this stuff. I want there to be noise about QPR, our players, myself and the management team. I just don’t want the noise to break anything that we are building inside, because that is really exciting. I see the stuff about Wolves and that is a compliment to all at QPR.
“With the stuff about Rangers you have to be very careful about that. Giovanni van Bronckhorst has done a fantastic job in the time he has been there.
“He has won a cup and got to a Europa League final, so I am not talking about that. And I have no right to talk about the Wolves job because there has been no contact.
“The people here have given me a big opportunity. Listen, you don’t know what is going to happen tomorrow.
“We have been riding the crest of a wave and doing well at QPR. If results go the other way, the life of a football manager is up and down.
“In the future I have huge aspirations, I have always been honest about that, to go and coach and work at the top level, and we are honest about that with our players too and their aspirations.
“But we only live in today, that’s what I have. And I have a wonderful job with owners that support me, a really strong management team that are 100 per cent with me.
“Those things are a gift for a manager. It’s obvious that the players here want to go and play in the Premier League and I want to manage there – and Europe and above also. But you deal with today, and today I am the manager of QPR. I try not to listen too much to nice things said, it’s what I would tell young players - don’t get carried away, or too high or low.”
