Caley Thistle manager John Robertson is not allowing speculation over the vacant Hearts job distract him from his current task at Caledonian Stadium.
Robertson has been touted as a potential successor for his former Jambos team-mate Craig Levein, who was dismissed last week.
The 55-year-old acknowledges why links have been made given his status as the Edinburgh club’s all-time leading goalscorer, while he also had a brief stint in charge at Tynecastle after leaving Inverness first time around in 2004.
While the race to succeed Levein has attracted widespread attention throughout the country, Robertson insists he remains entirely focused on Caley Jags, who ended his five-year hiatus from management when they brought him back for a second spell in 2017.
Robertson said: “I’m totally focused on Inverness. Every time there’s a vacancy at Hearts, people start to ask questions. Whoever gets the job, it’s a great job.
“I can’t do anything about speculation. There will be a million names linked with it and a lot of applications already.
“Due to my history with the club, I’ll always get a mention but as I say, right now, I’m totally focused on what we’re trying to do here at Inverness.
“We’re trying to get results and that’s all I can do – focus totally on my team and make sure we’re ready for a really tough game on Saturday.
“My job here is Inverness and I was out of the game for five years when they came and gave me an opportunity.
“My loyalty is to keep working hard for Inverness until I’m told differently.”
Robertson’s immediate focus is tomorrow’s Championship trip to Arbroath, with his preparations threatening to be hindered by a mystery illness which has swept through the Caley Jags squad this week.
Robertson will further assess his players later today ahead of the trip to Gayfield, and he added: “We will have a regroup, but several players have contracted some kind of sickness bug.
“Two or three had it earlier in the week and feel a little bit better. Two or three aren’t feeling very great. One or two will already be ruled out.
“It is a medical issue with a lot of boys down with it earlier in the week. Some have made good progress, some not so good and some none at all.
“It is unfortunate as we’re just getting lads back fit, but there’s nothing we can do about it. There’s a lot going about at this time of year and, at a football club, these things tend to spread very quickly.”
