Wolves manager Mick McCarthy tells Steven Fletcher to ignore the hype

Wolves manager Mick McCarthy today told Steven Fletcher to ignore the hype and carry on scoring – and dismissed the idea of selling him.

Wolves manager Mick McCarthy today told Steven Fletcher to ignore the hype and carry on scoring – and dismissed the idea of selling him.

The club-record £7million signing is grabbing the limelight, after his six-goal tally this season took his record to 16 in just 23 Premier League starts since his move from Burnley.

McCarthy is aware the unassuming Fletcher is attracting the headlines but insists the striker's only focus is to continue doing his job.

The Wolves boss said: "He's a Premier League player scoring goals so he's going to get headlines. Players always do when they're scoring goals."

Asked if he thought the 24-year-old would become a transfer target soon, McCarthy told the Express & Star: "No. If I say yes, then I've suddenly put him up for sale, haven't I?

"So, categorically, no. All Fletcher can do is play and score, for his career here, and his Scotland career. He's still only a young man, so all he can do is keep playing well and scoring.

"It's a great feeling as a footballer to be playing well. He's a very good player – he's excellent. It's his all-round game, but as with all strikers, it's his goals that top his performances off.

"And he wants to score – he loves scoring.

McCarthy hasn't set Fletcher any targets, only a desire for him to keep performing.

The manager said: "Fletcher just has to be as good as he possibly can. I haven't set him any goals at all. My aim was always to play my best in the next game.

"As a Republic of Ireland player, I wanted to go to a European Championships or a World Cup, or to get promoted or win something.

"My call every week was just to be the best for the next Saturday or Tuesday or whenever the next game was.

"You can't look further than that because you're next goal is always in front of you. You play on Saturday, and whatever happens, the next one is there for you.

"I don't think the goals are a guarantee – I think it's the fact that he works hard at it. He does a lot of work on his finishing – he's quite diligent at what he does."