Wilder looking forward to '˜fantastic end of season' with Cobblers

Barnsley in SkyBet League One and Championship side Rotherham United are the latest clubs to find themselves without a manager, and as always seems to be the case at the moment, Wilder is immediately either being reported as an option in newspapers, or is high in the betting to take over.

The Town boss has already been linked with moves to the likes of Chesterfield, Notts County, Cambridge United and Luton Town this season, and Wilder still lives in Sheffield, so the Barnsley and Rotherham jobs would certainly suit him on location alone. Wilder is also a former Rotherham player.

But the Cobblers manager is relishing his role at Sixfields, believes he and his players are creating something special, and he has made it clear he wants to see that job through.

“I’ve not applied for another one have I?,” joked Wilder, tongue firmly in cheek, when asked about him being linked to the Barnsley job. “A club that’s 20 minutes away from my front door?”

“I have a smile on my face, we are top of the league here, we are going great and I am enjoying my time at the club.

“I have enjoyed every period of my time here, even the tough times, because I work for good people.

“I have shown my loyalty in every job I have had, and what will be will be, but I am going to keeep my head down, and every time I am asked a question about another job, I’m sorry but it is a bog-standard answer: ‘I am keeping my head down’.”

Wilder, who was last week named manager of the month, has guided the Cobblers to top spot in Sky Bet League Two, with a run of 11 wins in 12 league games seeing them open up a five-point gap at the top, with a game in hand on second-placed Plymouth Argyle.

Town are also 14 points clear of Bristol Rovers in fourth, so are well on course for promotion with 18 games of the season remaining, and Wilder added: “We have good times ahead of us, a fantastic end of season and one we really should be looking forward to as supporters and players.

“The players are playing with a smile on their faces, and there is a real buzz about the place.

“Somebody came to the game on Saturday that doesn’t regularly come here, it is somebody I trust and have a lot of respect for, and he has been involved in the game for a long, long time.

“I spoke to him and he mentioned to me that there is a real buzz about the place, and he has seen a few games here in the past.

“We have created that, the supporters have created that, the players have created that, there are people that work at the club that have created that, and we need to make sure that continues.

“We will be doing what we need to do to make that happen.”

The Cobblers return to league two action on Saturday when they travel to play-off chasing Leyton Orient, and it is the first of three tough games in eight days.

Next Tuesday (Feb 16) Town travel to title rivals Oxford United before hosting another side with play-off ambitions in Wycombe Wanderers the following Saturday (Feb 20).