Exclusive by Stuart Roach |
The two favourites for the job of Leeds manager insist they have not been approached by the Elland Road club.
Nottingham Forest boss Paul Hart and Sheffield United manager Neil Warnock have both told BBC Sport they have had no contact with Leeds following Monday's sacking of Peter Reid.
Hart, a former Leeds player, is the hot favourite to take over at Elland Road.
But he insisted: "There has been no contact whatsoever."
Hart added: "I don't really want to comment on it. That is for other people to do.
"I'm manager of Nottingham Forest as far as I know and I can only talk about Forest."
Forest have indicated they would be reluctant to give Leeds permission to speak to Hart should there be an approach, with chairman Nigel Doughty desperate to hold on to his man.
"I think I speak for everyone connected with the club in saying I would very much like Paul and his backroom team to stay on at the City Ground and continue the excellent job they have done in the last two-and-a-half years," Doughty told the club's official website.
Yorkshireman Warnock, who has been in charge at Bramall Lane since 1999, said he remains in a similar position to Hart.
"I have heard nothing at all," Warnock said.
"I spoke to my chairman last night and he told me had heard nothing.
"It is all speculation and you can't do anything about that can you?"
Blades vice-chairman Terry Robinson added: "I'm not going to speculate on speculation. We don't want to add anything to a story that's not there.
"Sheffield United have got a manager and Leeds United haven't. We are second from top in the table and pushing forward with our long-term plans."
But if Leeds were to make an approach for Warnock, Robinson confirmed the club would inform the manager.
"That's not something that's written into a contract, it's just the way things are done," he added.
Eddie Gray, Reid's assistant at Elland Road, has been installed as caretaker manager while the club consider which way to turn after sacking their third manager in just 17 months.
Gray admits he would be interested in taking the job on a full-time basis and says he is relishing the challenge of steering the club clear of relegation trouble.
"I'm looking forward to it. Everyone knows the difficult position the club are in and it's a difficult task," he told BBC Radio Five Live.
He added: "I've got to try and install a little bit of confidence in the boys so we can start to pick points up.
"If we work hard and everyone starts playing with a bit more freedom, we've got the ability.
"If things go well you can never tell what's going to happen in the future but the most important thing at the present time is to get the club away from the bottom of the table.
"But anyone in football would obviously be interested in the Leeds job."
Recall for Viduka
Meanwhile, temporary boss Gray has extended an olive branch out to striker Mark Viduka who has missed the last two games.
Viduka has been fined for turning up late to training and was left out of the trip to Portsmouth after a row with sacked boss Reid.
Gray said: "He's a major player in our squad, a great goalscorer and a smashing player.
"His problems here have been well-documented in the last few weeks, so I will have a chat to Mark.
"But I'm fully expecting him to be lining up against Bolton."
MMIX
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I'll try to install a bit of confidence in the players... there are still players at this club with ability 
