NEWPORT County boss Justin Edinburgh turned down an approach from Northampton Town about becoming their new manager, the Argus can reveal.

The League Two strugglers, who are bottom of the Football League despite losing in the play-off final last term and beating the Exiles twice this season, sacked boss Aidy Boothroyd last month.

It was reported that Northampton had approached an unnamed League Two manager in the Northampton Chronicle yesterday morning, with the bookies believing that man to be Edinburgh, who was as short a price as 5-2 to succeed Boothroyd yesterday.

That was followed by a flat denial by Newport that any approach had been made, as revealed in the Argus.

However, Edinburgh himself then explained that the Cobblers had reached out to him, but he’s rejected the move.

“We haven’t had any approach and didn’t even know there was speculation,” the Argus was told by a County spokesman yesterday.

However, Edinburgh revealed a different side to things.

“There’s been no approach to the football club but they’re right in what they’ve said; there has been an approach to myself,” Edinburgh told us.

“But as I’ve always said I’ve got a job to finish here and I’m happy here.

“As with any individual that gets linked somewhere it’s flattering but I’ve got a lot of work to do here.

“I’m ambitious, I want to be progressive and right now I feel I can do that here.”

The news that Edinburgh was contacted without permission from the Exiles is surprising as Football Association rules dictate any approach must be direct to the employer.

However, it is understood that Northampton didn’t make direct contact with Edinburgh and he was instead sounded out by a third party with connections to the Cobblers. That third party is an ex-teammate of Edinburgh’s from his playing days.

The Argus contacted Northampton Town FC but they declined to comment on the story.

Edinburgh, who is also on the bookies’ list for the vacancy at League One Shrewsbury Town (though only the joint seventh favourite at 20/1), signed a new three-year contract in October that ties him to Rodney Parade until 2016.