Forget any rumours, Mick McCarthy is going nowhere.

There was speculation that the Yorkshireman was at the top of Fulham’s wish list recently, with the south Londoners reportedly ready to tempt him with the promise of a significant transfer kitty and the chance to live nearer his family home in Bromley.

McCarthy, along with assistant Terry Connor, signed a new three-year deal at Portman Road last summer though and appears to have a steely determination to continue his two-and-a-half year slow build in Suffolk.

“We all know the rumours, Marcus knows the rumours,” said Blues managing director Ian Milne. “There really is only one, which started some weeks ago, and that’s about Fulham.

“You hear things like ‘this rumour is gathering pace’, but nothing has happened.

“The rumours about Mick and all the rest of it are just that – rumours. We want to keep the whole squad, including Mick and Terry, together.

“Of course you don’t know what’s going to happen next week in football, somebody can come in with silly bids and all the rest of it, but you can only deal with the facts that are in front of you.

“And the facts at this moment in time are Mick and Terry want to stay. Mick has said it himself ‘I’m not going anywhere’ and, as you know, he’s a very honest and truthful guy.”

Asked if the club would fight to keep hold of McCarthy and Connor in the face of any potential interest, Milne replied: “Oh yes – absolutely tooth and nail. If the phone call came it would be a very short conversation along the lines of ‘get lost’.

“Marcus would talk to Mick about it, tell him that we’ve told the club to ‘get lost’ and Mick would no doubt agree.

“That’s where that is. It’s just not happening.”

He continued: “Of course there’s always a situation, in any walk of life, where your employers might want to keep somebody but there may be something else that comes up which feels right for that person and their family.

“You can’t stop people moving in that sort of situation, but I don’t think we have that sort of situation with Mick. He’s said it himself how much he’s enjoying it here and his determination to continue the progress.

“And anyway, there is nothing on the table or anywhere near a fact or even worth thinking about.

“All we can suppose is that Mick, along with one or two other managers, may be on Fulham and whoever elses’ shortlist as they look for a new manager.

“I’m sure if clubs are looking for managers then they will have a shortlist and it wouldn’t be a surprise if Mick is on them given what he’s done both here and in the past.

“If we were looking for a manager – which we ain’t – Marcus would have his shortlist.

“I’m only speculating, but maybe somebody has said, internally, that ‘we’re looking at X, Y and Z’ and Mick’s name was mentioned and that has then leaked.”