Sean Dyche has quashed rumours he is in talks with Tottenham but described the relegation-threatened Premier League team as a “brilliant club” amid speculation over Igor Tudor’s position.
Spurs are without a fixture until 12 April but a run of five defeats in seven matches under the interim head coach Tudor has placed his job at threat, with their league position a precarious one.
Tudor is dealing with the death of his father Mario, but Dyche has been named by bookmakers as one of the leading contenders to take over if Tottenham were to make a change and the appearance of the former Burnley manager – who was sacked by Nottingham Forest last month – in a London pub on Friday sparked interest on social media.
However, Dyche during an appearance on TalkSport, laughed: “Ah, it’s brilliant, honestly. I was in the pub just up the way near my place, I’ve got down here and this guy goes: ‘Ah, you’re meant to be in talks with Spurs tonight?’ And I say: ‘I’m sat next to you having a pint of Guinness, so it’s unlikely – unless you work for Spurs!’
“I’m there in The Seven Stars pub having a pint of Guinness, so I said: ‘It’s highly unlikely’. No, I’m not [in talks], I’m with you and I’m on TalkSport, that’s what we’re doing.”
During a guest hosting appearance alongside Dyche’s friend Jonny Owen, the 54-year-old did discuss the pitfalls of being asked about potential jobs but was complimentary about Spurs. “To give you an inside view, when you’re the manager, you know you’re going to get asked these at some point and whatever part of your career if you’re doing all right,” Dyche said.
“You get asked and you try to be respectful because let’s use Tottenham as an example. A brilliant club, massive club and all the rest of it and one of my first ever memories is Ricky Villa’s goal and so you say yeah, flattered.
“And [social media] say: ‘He hasn’t said no,’ and then you go: No,’ and they say: ‘He wants it really’, so you say: ‘Yes,’ and they say: ‘I knew he wanted it,’ so what can you say?”
