Allardyce dismisses Rovers link

Sam Allardyce has ruled himself out of the running to succeed Paul Ince as Blackburn manager should the former Liverpool and Manchester United midfielder be replaced.

Ince is under pressure at Ewood Park after Rovers' sixth-straight Premier League defeat this weekend at Wigan, and reports suggest a decision on the manager's future will be made this week.

"That is pure press speculation," he told Sky Sports' Goals on Sunday programme. "As far as I am concerned, there was a chance that I talked to Blackburn when it was between me, Paul Ince and Steve McClaren. But that has been the sum total of any contact between me and Blackburn since then. There's nothing in it at the moment."

The former Bolton and Newcastle boss did admit, however, that he was keen to speak to Sunderland about the vacant manager's post at the Stadium of Light.

"There's been no contact between me and Sunderland," he said. "But I'd like to talk to them.

"I think that would be nice and we could see where went from there.

"I'd like to get back into the game obviously now.

"I've recharged the batteries, I'm raring to go and if the opportunity came along, as long as it was the right club for me, that would be great."