St Johnstone manager Tommy Wright has admitted he is flattered to be linked with the Dundee United job.
The Perth boss is understood to be a serious contender to replace Jackie McNamara, along with the likes of Stuart McCall, Mixu Paatelainen and Jim McIntyre.
Wright’s Saints team inflicted regular damage on McNamara’s United over the last few seasons, culminating in the comeback win at McDiarmid Park on Saturday that resulted in a swift post-match sacking.
And unsurprisingly, that hasn’t gone unnoticed in the Tannadice boardroom.
Wright said: “You only get linked with jobs when they come up if you are doing a good job with your own club.
“It is flattering to be linked with jobs but I am happy to be St Johnstone manager. It probably hasn’t happened to me since I came to the club.
“But I am enjoying my job here. I know, and the chairman knows, the job myself and my staff do. We are working hard to make St Johnstone better.
“I can’t stop speculation. And from a personal point of view it is nice because it is unusual for me. I take it as a compliment.
“It maybe took a win against Rangers to get the profile lifted a bit.
“But I am in a good job and still have goals to achieve. My focus is on our game with Aberdeen.
“All I can do is come into work each day and work hard. I can’t do anything about what other people think about me.”
Wright revealed that the customary after-game drink with the United coaching staff was understandably “awkward”.
“It has not been a good week for managers,” he pointed out. “No-one likes to see fellow managers losing their jobs.
“Despite our differences Jackie and I have had in the past we get on well. We had a drink afterwards but it was an awkward situation for Jackie, me and my staff to have to deal with on Saturday after the game. We were shocked by it.
“I don’t think I have experienced anything like that before in my career. But that is the nature of the business we are in.
“It wasn’t nice and it hasn’t been nice with Ian Baraclough going as well.
“I am now the third longest serving manager in the league behind Alan Archibald and Derek McInnes. And there is only a few months in it. That shows you how tough this line of work is. And I am still the oldest.
“But I think we all come into this business knowing that is a likely outcome for you.
“I might be a bit of a jinx to managers because Stuart McCall parted company with Motherwell after losing to St Johnstone and Tommy Craig was sacked last year. It happened a couple of times in the Irish League as well.
“But I think Del is safe this weekend!”