Next Sunderland manager: Sheffield Wednesday boss reacts to head coach rumours amid relegation battle

Sheffield Wednesday boss Danny Rohl says he remains very happy at the club amid reports linking him with the Sunderland job.

The 34-year-old was only appointed at Hillsborough in October, his first manager's job after coaching roles with RB Leipzig, Southampton, Bayern Munich and the German national team. Wednesday were seven points from safety, following a 10-match winless run, when Rohl was appointed, but are now just a point below the drop zone.

It was reported this month, according to i news, that Rohl is one of the names being considered by Sunderland, who will be looking for a new head coach this summer. The Black Cats named Mike Dodds as the club’s interim boss until the end of the season in February, following Michael Beale's short spell at the Stadium of Light. 

When asked about recent reports ahead of Wednesday’s home match against Swansea, Rohl said: "Honestly, I said this some weeks before, that my focus is 100 per cent on the next eight games. What happens with the next game is the difficult one and all the rumours around me are not important. They are rumours, everybody can speak and write something. My focus is here at Sheffield Wednesday, my focus is on my team and my focus is to achieve our goals with this club." 

Asked whether he could offer reassurance to Wednesday supporters about his position, the German replied: "What can you say? I can say that at the moment I am very happy here at Sheffield Wednesday. I enjoy the club and the supporters. I know how strong the relationship is and this is a key point for me as well. I have a good group here around me and I know what I want to do here. I know what we have to do in the summer to make a step forward. There are other things.

"The focus must be really clear when we look at our goals for the season. This is important for all those next steps."