Chris Hughton says he has no worries Joe Worrall's head will be turned by revived transfer speculation.
The Nottingham Forest defender has once again been linked with a move to Burnley, who were today officially taken over American Investors who will likely be keen to back manager Sean Dyche next month as they fight to stay in the Premier League.
Worrall has been linked with a £10m move to Turf Moor, but Hughton believes the 23-year-old will remain focussed on the task at hand at the City Ground, with Forest having relegation worries of their own.
"I don't worry. He would be one certainly who won't be distracted," he said.
"He is intelligent enough - as we all are - to know a lot of these things are out of our hands. A lot of what you hear is just speculation.
"The best way to look at it is speculation means you're doing well. If you're being linked with teams in a higher division it means you're doing well.
"He's clever enough to know it's speculation."
Hughton will not specifically address transfer links as to tackle one opens a flood of speculation.
He says transfer rumours have evolved throughout his career, with social media giving increased prominence to gossip normally reserved for newspaper columns or page 302 of ceefax.
"The only thing I think helps, generally because there was no social media many years ago, transfer rumours tended to have something in them," he said.
"In this era now, speculation comes so thick and fast through social media so everyone gets used to it.
"We can't let what people say affect us. Sometimes there is something in it, sometimes there isn't.
"You don't let it detract from your preparations for a game or what you're trying to do."
