CHRIS LAKEY Jim Duffy says his ambition of becoming the new Norwich City manager will take a back seat at Carrow Road tomorrow.

CHRIS LAKEY

Jim Duffy says his ambition of becoming the new Norwich City manager will take a back seat at Carrow Road tomorrow.

The 48-year-old will take charge of an English team for the first time when City face Bristol City this afternoon, having been made caretaker manager following last week's departure of Peter Grant.

Speculation over Grant's successor has been rife, with Duffy the only applicant to have been publicly named.

But the former Dundee and Hearts boss insisted yesterday that tomorrow was about Norwich City, not Jim Duffy.

“I would be delighted if it was me, but at this moment in time it is about the game against Bristol City, it is about the result, it is about the performance, it is about the belief in the players and the confidence, and that is paramount.

“The directors have got their job to do, that can go in the background a little bit - it is vitally important for the club and how they move forward, but I think everyone and all the supporters would probably agree, that Saturday's game is the number one focus. That is all we can do, look towards Saturday.”

Duffy has a wealth of experience in Scotland, where he was in charge of Falkirk, Dundee and Hibs, followed by coaching spells at Chelsea and Portsmouth before returning to manage Dundee for a second time.

He joined City as Grant's assistant in February but after the events of last week finds himself in caretaker charge of a club for the first time in his career.

“I am absolutely thrilled to be in charge, there is no doubt,” he said. “I feel privileged and delighted about it, but I have done it a few times - I am not sitting here biting my nails.

“It is important the guys try and perform, it's about getting confidence back in the team, it is not about what it means to me. I am delighted about it and I thrive on that responsibility, but I can be swinging from chandeliers, it doesn't matter, it's what happens on the pitch on Saturday and that is what the supporters are interested in.

“I don't think it matters that much at this moment in time who is sitting in this chair. I think it is getting confidence back in the team, getting the belief back in the players and the only way you can do that is by getting results.

“If the job was offered to me I would be absolutely delighted, but I will let the directors make that decision. They have got a process they will go through and when the time is right they will announce who they believe is the guy to take this club forward.”