'It certainly tarnished my image!' - Ligue 1 sensation Will Still hits out at 'made up' links with Sunderland

Still was linked with the vacant manager position at Championship side Sunderland, a position now filled by former Queens Park Rangers boss Michael Beale. The Reims coach has now labelled those reports as untrue and damaging to his reputation.

Still told Gazete van Antwerpen: "I don’t know which French-language newspaper made up that story, but it certainly tarnished my image.

"Now I know journalists can make or break you. The article was also quickly adopted in England. Suddenly I was in all the tabloids. Everyone thought I had offered myself to Sunderland. [That] I wasn’t being honest, so to speak. And not to be trusted. But I would never offer myself to another club.

"I’m not wired like that. I have too much respect for the people I work with for that. It’s a shame the story was blown up so much."

Still has a release clause in his Reims contract, something he says he wasn't aware of.

"I didn’t even know that clause [allowing him to leave for €5m] was in my contract until last week. Perhaps that is why Sunderland put some pressure on certain media. Was it an attempt to get me out of here for free? I don’t know.

"I’m not interested in it either. But it does frustrate me. Because now it seems like I’ve become arrogant. Or started floating [in the clouds]. But that is absolutely not the case. I am still the same Will as I was at Lierse or Beerschot."

Still made headlines when - at age 30 - he was appointed Reims boss in late 2022, becoming the youngest manager in Europe's top five leagues. His story went viral when it emerged that Reims were getting fined €25,000 every time he managed the team because he didn't have a UEFA Pro license. After leading Reims to a comfortable mid-table finish last season, Still's side are currently eighth in Ligue 1.

Following the Christmas break, Still will take his side to fourth division Dinan-Lehon in the round of 64 of the Coupe de France.