Newcastle dismiss Eriksson reports

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LONDON, England -- Newcastle chairman Freddy Shepherd has rubbished reports that former England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson could take charge at the English Premier League club.

"This is all news to me. I have not spoken to Sven since he left the England job and I have no intention of speaking to him," he told the club's Web site.

Eriksson's agent Athole Still described claims linking Eriksson to Glenn Roeder's job at Newcastle as "malicious."

Still said he spoke with Eriksson this morning amid reports in the tabloid media that the Swede is targeting the job at St James' Park, where a series of poor results in the Premier League has left Roeder's injury-hit side in the bottom four.

Still insists there has been no contact between the two parties and has denied Eriksson, who was last week linked with West Ham, is looking to resurrect his career at St James' Park.

He told the Press Association: "It does not surprise me, because he was linked with West Ham. Such is his stature that if there is a vacancy he is going to be linked with a job.

"But I have spoken to Sven, and he is not happy at the suggestion that he has targeted Newcastle - which gives quite a different slant to the thing."

Eriksson has been out of work since leaving his post as England coach after this summer's World Cup Finals.

The Swede has been linked with several jobs since, although Still has repeatedly spoken of his desire to take on a club with the potential to compete in the Champions League.

"There have been lots of clubs interested, but somebody at his level has to wait for the right job. "The right job will come, and I believe it will come sooner rather than later."

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