Shrewsbury Town have been refused permission to speak to Morecambe boss Sammy McIlroy about the vacant managerial position at Oteley Road.The Shrimps revealed last night that they had been approached by Town who wanted to speak to the former Northern Ireland boss.

But in a short statement the club said they had refused permission.

McIlroy made his name playing for Manchester United from 1971-82, and he was capped 88 times by Northern Ireland, appearing in two World Cups.

As a manager he took Macclesfield into the Football League in 1997 and spent four years as his country’s boss.

He has been at Morecambe since November 2005 and last season steered them into the Football League for the first time in their history via the play-offs.

Meanwhile former Town No 2 Mick Wadsworth has played down rumours he has applied for the vacant managerial position.

Reports suggested that the 57-year-old Yorkshireman had expressed an interest in returning to the club he served as an assistant to manager Gary Peters.

But Wadsworth, who is caretaker manager at Scottish Premier League crisis club Gretna, has denied the speculation and insisted he is focused on guiding his current club through troubled waters.

“I’m in a difficult situation at Gretna at the moment and I would not walk away – that’s not my style,” he said.

“I think Shrewsbury is a wonderful club. I have got a great relationship with the chairman (Roland Wycherley) and the Board of directors and I wish them every success. But I have not applied for the job.”

Wadsworth was the first of three assistant managers appointed by Peters and spent 14 months with the Shropshire club before quitting the position in March 2006.

He became director of football at Gretna but is currently in caretaker control of team affairs, and fears the club may not survive until the end of the season after financial problems which became public when the players faced a delay in being paid when owner Brooks Mileson fell ill.

But it appears Wadsworth is determined not to heap more misery on Gretna by walking out.

Meanwhile, Town’s managing director Rob Bickerton has confirmed the job has not attracted around 70 applications – the number he predicted when the position first became vacant.

But he admitted focus on the last 24 hours has been on preparing for this afternoon’s vital home clash with Rotherham.

Paul Simpson remains one of the major front-runners for the job and, although he has declined to speak publically on his interest, is known to be attracted to the position and the ambition of the club.

Micky Adams and MIke Newell also remain at the centre of the race to become manager, but there are some indications that former Stoke boss Steve Cotterill may have fallen down the pecking order.