Gareth Ainsworth has backed himself to manage at a higher level of football after yet another impressive season at the helm of Wycombe Wanderers.

The 44-year-old has steered the Chairboys to fourth place in League Two on a shoestring budget, and hopes to cement an end-of-season play-off place.

And the former Preston North End and Queens Park Rangers midfielder believes he has what it takes to manage in a higher division.

Scores of Championship clubs including Middlesbrough, Nottingham Forest and Sheffield Wednesday have all axed their managers recently, but aspiring bosses like Ainsworth have been overlooked.

And he admitted it would be down to another club to take a chance on his abilities.

He stated: “I back myself (and other League 2 managers) to do a job at a higher level.

“It’s just about somebody sticking their neck on the line and wanting to appoint one of the young English managers in the lower leagues.

“I just want to keep doing my job and hopefully one day I will get my rewards. Hopefully that will be with Wycombe.

“I’m very happy and very content in my job at the moment. I either keep doing it until somebody tells me not to or I keep doing it until somebody tells me I’ve got a chance at a higher level.

“Those are the two options you have. It’s a great club, I’m really close to the board, the chairman and the fans and I want to keep doing as well as I can.”

Ainsworth does have limited experience managing clubs at a higher division following two short stints as caretaker manager while he was on the books at Queens Park Rangers.

He took charge at Adams Park in 2012 and has managed more than 290 games for the club.