Boss insists he is focused on Pompey

The Blues boss revealed he has not been contacted by the Trotters over their vacant manager’s position.

Appleton is among the bookies’ favourites to fill the role vacated by Owen Coyle on Tuesday.

Last night, he was third in the market for the post behind Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Mick McCarthy.

And sources in Lancashire suggest the 36-year-old is being considered for the job.

But Appleton explained he has heard nothing from anyone at the Championship side – and has not been informed of any interest from administrator Trevor Birch.

He feels he has a duty to ignore the speculation and focus on the job at hand with his players ahead of tomorrow’s clash with Crewe.

Appleton said: ‘I can’t control people linking me to other clubs.

‘From my point of view, until I’m contacted by Bolton or any other club out there or I’m contacted by the administrator to tell me there’s an interest, I’ll continue to work with the players.

‘They deserve my full 100-per-cent commitment.

‘I’ll continue to do that until I know differently.

‘It would very rude and out of order of me to not concentrate on the process which is going on down here at Portsmouth.

‘I’ve got a group of 20 players who we’ve put together in a very short space of time and they’ve signed month-to-month contracts.

‘You get distractions all the time in football.

‘It’s nice to be linked with jobs, of course it is.

‘But until someone comes to me or the administrators and makes an approach, as far as I see it, I have to look upon it as speculation.’