Middlesbrough have confirmed that Aston Villa have been in contact about Gary McAllister's availability to join Gerard Houllier's management team at Villa Park.
Boro boss Gordon Strachan said he did not want speculation surrounding his assistant McAllister distracting his players from Wednesday's match against Burnley.
New Villa boss Houllier is understood to want McAllister as assistant manager. It was the Frenchman who signed McAllister as a player when he was in charge at Liverpool 10 years ago.
Strachan was reluctant to say more, but told Sky Sports: "There has been contact with two clubs but what we'll do is leave it until after the (Burnley) game before we talk about it."
Houllier was named the new Villa manager last week but his commitments as technical director with the French Football Federation mean he is unlikely to take charge of a Premier League game until the visit of Wolves on September 26.
