BLACKBURN Rovers boss Gary Bowyer has expressed his ‘surprise’ at speculation linking him with the vacant manager’s job at Premier League strugglers QPR.

The Daily Mail today reported that Bowyer had emerged as a contender to become the permanent successor to Harry Redknapp.

But Bowyer, whose side host Stoke City in the FA Cup on Saturday, said: “That's the first time I've been made aware of it.

“My focus is solely on Saturday’s game against Stoke.

“It’s surprised me more than anybody so we’ve just got to concentrate on what we’re doing here and focus on the Stoke game.

“Anything else is just nothing to do with us.”

After Bowyer spoke reports emerged suggesting that Chris Ramsey will be appointed QPR’s manager until the end of the season.

Ramsey is currently in caretaker charge of the Hoops whose chairman Tony Fernandes tweeted on Tuesday that he had got ‘his dream manager’ to replace the departed Redknapp.

It is not clear if Fernandes was referring to Ramsey or a potential permanent successor to Redknapp for next season.