Former Sunderland and Barnsley manager Lee Johnson has publicly spoken about the Wycombe Wanderers rumours for the first time.

The 43-year-old, who has been out of a job since leaving Fleetwood Town at the back end of 2023, has been linked to the vacant role at Adams Park following Matt Bloomfield’s exit for Luton Town on January 14.

At one point, the bookmakers slashed his odds from 20/1 to 2/1 in the space of a day, and at the time of writing, he is now at 4/6.

However, Johnson has exclusively told the Free Press that his next job ‘must be the right one’ and has admitted that he’s had ‘no real contact’ from the Chairboys hierarchy.

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He said: “I have options and Wycombe is a great club.

“I have visited [Adams Park] on several occasions, Gareth Ainsworth is a good friend of mine, and I think it’ll be a very good job for whoever gets it, but I’ve had no real contact from Wycombe’s end.

“I’ve seen a lot of media speculation, especially with the betting which has been quite interesting, but, I think it’s important that I get the next one right.”

When asked about the slashing of the odds, Johnson, who has managed over 500 games since 2013, added: “There’s no smoke without fire, but I think a part of that was because I went to the Mansfield vs Wycombe game [on January 18].

“I was there watching both teams and with Nigel Clough [Mansfield’s manager], I played for him [when at Derby County].

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“I was watching games [all weekend], as I was at Burnley on the Friday, Mansfield on the Saturday, and Leeds on the Sunday.”

Since taking charge of his first game for Oldham Athletic 12 years ago, Johnson has won 206 of his 523 games for six different teams, with his most notable spells being at Barnsley, Bristol City and Sunderland respectively.

During that seven-year period, he saved the Tykes from relegation in his first season, and pushed them for promotion 12 months later, before he left for Bristol City in February 2016.

Barnsley would win the 2016 League One play-offs and the EFL Trophy, just months after Johnson exited.

His departure from Oakwell came after City triggered his release clause, and in the four years he spent with the West Country side, he comfortably kept the Robins in the Championship with four mid-table finishes.

He also had a season where the club just finished outside the play-offs, as well as beating Manchester United in the League Cup quarter-finals, earning a semi-final clash with Manchester City in 2017/18.

A stint at Sunderland soon followed, in which he helped the Black Cats win the 2021 EFL Trophy final.

He would then have spells at Hibernian and Fleetwood Town.

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He continued: “There has been a lot of interest but the next job has to be the right one - that is very important.

“I won promotion out of League One as a player, so I know what it takes to be successful in that division.

“I like the set-up at Wycombe as they have good players in the midfield that can dog and get across the ground.

“The forwards are bright, pacey and powerful and they have made some good signings.

“Tyreeq Bakinson is someone that I had when I was at Bristol  -  I bought him from Luton and I have worked with Josh Scowen.

“I loved working with Scowey – what a great player he is.

“Whoever gets it, I think it’s a very good job.”

Up next for Wycombe is Barnsley, one of Johnson's former sides, on January 28 at Adams Park.