Gareth Ainsworth has failed to rule himself out of contention for the QPR job after his name was linked with the vacant post.

Loftus Road has a special place in Ainsworth’s heart after he spent seven years with the London club from 2003-2010 and he is among those being touted as a long-term replacement for Chris Ramsey.

While the 42-year-old stressed that he remains fully committed to the cause at Adams Park he did consent that he was flattered by the speculation surrounding him.

He said: “It is brilliant to be linked and very flattering to be linked with big clubs, but I work closely with Andrew Howard and I have a job to do at Wycombe Wanderers and I am very happy here.

“If things take their natural course we will deal with it as it comes but I have got a job to do with Wycombe and that is what I am focusing on at the moment.”

Neil Warnock is currently in charge of QPR in an interim capacity and may still be given the job on a permanent basis if he can turn around the Championship club’s ailing fortunes.

They currently sit 13th in the table and have not won a game since they beat Bolton 4-3 at home at the start of October.

Ainsworth is popular at QPR having played 152 times for the club – his longest spell at any of his 12 clubs – and his impressive start to managerial life at Wycombe has seen his stock rise.

He is however an outsider to be offered the job with former Leicester manager Nigel Pearson, who is also wanted at Fulham, among the favourites to become the club’s third manager since February.

His stance though is a departure from earlier this year when he categorically ruled himself out of the running for the job after Harry Redknapp had been sacked.