Leicester City boss Brendan Rodgers reacts to Newcastle Unted job links and has this message for under-fire Steve Bruce

Newcastle United host Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday with Steve Bruce taking charge of the new owners’ first game.

It had been reported Bruce would be sacked before the game, with Leicester boss Brendan Rodgers and former Chelsea manager Antonio Conte among those linked with succeeding him.

But the club issued an operations notice on Thursday to say that Bruce would attend a media briefing on Friday afternoon and they confirmed he would be in charge on Sunday for his 1,000th game as a manager.

When quizzed about whether he was committed to Leicester City, Rodgers said: “100 per cent.

"I’ve got a contract until 2025. I absolutely love being here. I’m very fortunate. I’ve got a great chief exec and a director of football, and a group of players I enjoy working with. We have a structure here that allows us to compete.

"I want to be here. I’ve seen the reports around it. It doesn’t help anyone, particularly Steve and Newcastle.

"It’s the type of week I don’t like in the modern game. We are trying to work hard but the speculation can destabilise players and supporters. I’ve been in the game long enough to focus on my role.”

Asked about Steve Bruce, he added: “This week has shown his integrity as a man.

"To reach 1000 games shows his resilience as a manager. I feel for Steve. You can get put on death watch by the media. It can affect families. He’s got on with his job.”

Rodgers added: “It’s always going to be a challenge for the likes of ourselves.

"It’s important that when you have money, you also have direction.

"Here, we have a structure that allows us to compete. For the people of Newcastle, it gives them hope that a great club can be up there challenging again. It’s a good thing if they get that feeling back. It’s a huge club.

"With the right investment, they could be a challenger. We can only concentrate on ourselves and make sure we have an identity and it’s all with common sense.”

Newcastle are currently second from bottom of the Premier League, without a win in their first seven games.