BLACKBURN Rovers will not be bringing former striker James Beattie back to Ewood Park.

The 28-year-old had been linked with a January transfer-window move from Everton to Rovers to help finance a deal to bring Preston's David Nugent to Goodison Park.

But Rovers chairman John Williams today rubbished the rumours.

He said: "He (Beattie) is someone else's player, but we have not made any approaches. It's one I think you can forget about."

Beattie, who hails from Lancaster and is a former pupil at Queen Elizabeth Grammar School in Blackburn, started his career with Rovers as a trainee back in 1995 and spent three years at Ewood Park before sealing a £1 million move to Southampton.

He spent six-and-a-half years on the south coast, scoring 68 league goals, and was snapped up by the Toffees in January last year for £6 million.

But he has failed to make a sustained impact on Merseyside.

The emergence of 18-year-old Victor Anichebe has left him further marginalised, and the Boxing Day draw against struggling Middlesborough was the third successive game in which Beattie has failed to start.

Furthermore, he has not scored for more than two months and this latest snub - Anichebe again started ahead of him - fuelled speculation that he is poised to leave Goodison Park next month.

It is understood Newcastle are also among those interested in him, although Moyes said: "James is fine and he definitely won't be sold in the window.

"An awful lot people are making up stories at the moment, but he's not for sale.

"James is determined to play for Everton and improve what he's all about and I'm sure he's capable of doing that."

Meanwhile reports linking Rovers with a move for veteran West Ham striker Teddy Sheringham also appear to be wide of the mark, as is speculation surrounding a possible bid by Tottenham to take Morten Gamst Pedersen to White Hart Lane.

Williams added: "Morten was linked with them back in the summer, but there are absolutely no plans to sell him."