Burnley manager Sean Dyche says speculation linking him with the Aston Villa job was "common sense" but nothing more than that.
Former Hull boss Steve Bruce took over the reins at the Championship strugglers this week but only after a flurry of betting saw the odds on Dyche tumble dramatically.
While managers do not typically drop down a division while still employed at a Premier League club, Villa's supporter base and resources make it a more attractive proposition than their current travails suggest.
Dyche is a proven performer in the second tier, having won the title last season and earned promotion on a shoestring previously, and thinks that is why his name was in the frame.