Mark Robins today played a straight bat to reports linking him with the Norwich City managerial vacancy. The Rotherham United boss and former City striker arrived for work well aware that he has been installed in some quarters as favourite for the job.

Mark Robins today played a straight bat to reports linking him with the Norwich City managerial vacancy.

The Rotherham United boss and former City striker arrived for work well aware that he has been installed in some quarters as favourite for the job.

Within hours of the departure of Glenn Roeder yesterday, some bookmakers had posted the Millers manager at the top of the list of potential candidates to replace him.

But in 20 months in charge of Rotherham, Robins has consistently refused to comment on speculation or discuss his or the club's business in public, at least until any business is done.

“Let the speculators speculate - we have a very big game here on Saturday against Bournemouth,” he said.

“My concentration, and that of my staff and players, is on that and I'm getting on with the job of getting three points from it.”

Robins scored 21 times in 78 games for the Canaries after joining them for �800,000 from Manchester United in 1992 after Robert Fleck's �2.1m move to Chelsea. He moved to Leicester for �1m in 1995.

One of Robins' former team-mates, Darren Eadie, said: “He has definitely got managerial potential. It doesn't mean he could definitely do it at a higher level but he knows the club and the city.

“I know that was the similar reasoning for us getting in Peter Grant, but he didn't have the managerial experience that Mark has got. Maybe he could do the job alongside someone with a bit more experience.”