Ray McKinnon admits that while it’s “exciting” to be linked with becoming the new Dundee United manager, he is still fully focused on doing well for Raith Rovers.
The Stark’s Park boss has been heavily tipped to take over in the Tannadice hot-seat vacated by Mixu Paatelainen this week and has been installed as a short-odds favourite to do so by the bookies.
However, Rovers are still very much alive and kicking in the Premiership play-offs and they will travel to face Hibs in the second leg of their quarter-final at Easter Road tomorrow with a 1-0 advantage after winning at home on Wednesday night.
So, while McKinnon understands why he has been linked with a move to his home town club, he is happy in Kirkcaldy and if he takes the Fife club up to the Premiership, he will be staying as Rovers boss.
The 45-year-old, who was named the Ladbrokes Championship manager of the Month for April yesterday, said: “I can say openly that I have ambition. I do. And I want to go as far as I can in football.
“I’ve got the drive and I’m hungry for it. But what will be, will be. I can’t affect the future.
“All I can do is focus on the task in hand and try to do my best for Raith Rovers. I know it’s a cliché but I have to stick to that.
“You know, make no mistake about it, they (United) are a big club. But it honestly hasn’t affected me.
“Any time you’re linked with a club, it’s exciting.
“It’s my home town club, I played for them, my kids support them. I get that.
“But it hasn’t really affected me one bit, I’m honest about that. I’m quite happy where I am.
“If I take Raith up, I will be the Raith Rovers manager next season. It is as simple as that.”
With United set to be playing in the Championship next season after suffering the pain of relegation from the Premiership, it was suggested to McKinnon that they might now be a less attractive proposition.
That was something he did not agree with, saying: “No certainly not. They’re a top-six club in Scotland, like Hibs. They’re big, big clubs. Whether they’re in this division or the one up, they’re big, big clubs with huge potential.
“They’re attractive jobs for everybody.
“Why am I talking about this? I’m getting drawn into something here!
“They’re attractive jobs and it’s nice to be linked with it, but I’m totally focused on my job here.
“All I can say, is I’m delighted with the boys I’ve got right now and we’ve got a great chance of doing something special, and that’s all we’re focusing on.
“I’ve not spoken to them about it (United job) at all. We came in last night and, in the lead-up to the game, not one of my players broached it.
“That’s purely because they’re so focused, which is something we’ve really drilled into them recently. They stay focused.
“And they’re good boys in that dressing-room, good professionals, good strong characters who know how to handle themselves. So not a mention of it, which is great.”
