Steve Cooper played down any talk of former club Nottingham Forest ahead of facing his former club with Leicester.
Cooper faces Forest in Friday night’s East Midlands derby for the first time since being sacked by the Reds last December.
The 44-year-old was a popular figure during more than two years at the City Ground, guiding them to the Premier League for the first time in 23 years.
But now in charge of rivals Leicester after his appointment in the summer, Cooper is looking to secure successive wins for the Foxes after beating Bournemouth and Southampton in their last two games.
And rather than talk about his past in another part of the East Midlands, the Welsh boss says he is fully focused on the task at hand at the King Power Stadium.
He said: “It’s about the work with the club here and the players here. It doesn’t matter who we play now – that’s completely where my focus is.
“That’s enough to consume me and my mind. People that know me will know I stay on task with the job I do and don’t let anything interfere with that. That is the same this week.”
On Friday’s match 👀
“It’s the perfect game. These are the games you want to be part of and take advantage of, not fear. The Premier League is a big stage, and when it’s a Friday night game, it seems an even bigger stage. But the big stages are the ones you want to shine on.” pic.twitter.com/DMzwB7Q3pm
— Leicester City (@LCFC) October 23, 2024
Nuno Espirito Santo’s Forest are eighth after beating Crystal Palace 1-0 on Monday but promoted Leicester can close the gap behind their rivals to just a point and take them to within touching distance of the top half.
Cooper added: “This is just about the game. This is just about the players we are working with and the staff, getting ready for an exciting game – Friday night under the lights, live on TV.
“This is why the team fought so hard last year to get back in the Premier League, and the same for the opposition as well. That’s where my focus is. There is no time to think about anything else.
“I don’t want to think about anything else because the moment you are not 100% committed or focused on the job in hand you get punished.”
