BURNLEY interim boss Mike Jackson insists he hasn’t thought about his own managerial ambitions despite an impressive start to life in the hotseat at Turf Moor.

The Clarets have picked up seven points from their last three matches since Jackson stepped up from the Under-23 side.

But the former Tranmere boss insists he is only focused on the short term and helping Burnley maintain their top-flight status.

“I’ve not had a chance to think about that," he said. "It’s not in the front of my mind at this moment in time.

“The total focus has been can we get this team ready and making sure we keep trying to improve them.

“I've had regular contact (with Alan Pace). We spoke about a couple of things, he’s given us his backing and we’re just going to go one game at a time.

"He’s happy with where we are and we think the best for everybody is the way we’ve been doing it so everyone’s on the same page.”

Burnley face another huge game on Saturday when they take on 19th-placed Watford, and victory at Vicarage Road would not just be a big leap towards safety but would also effectively relegate both Watford and Norwich.

“I wouldn’t be disrespectful to the two teams like that,” he added. “I didn’t even know that. For me it’s just us focusing on us.

“They’re fighting for their lives, two really good managers. A Roy Hodgson team’s not going to think about that.

“There are loads of permutations. I can’t read into the future. We stay in the now. That’s the best way to play football.”

Burnley can pile more pressure on Everton below them and Leeds ahead of them, with both teams playing after the Clarets and facing what appear significantly more difficult fixtures.

A third of Burnley’s Premier League victories this campaign have come under Jackson, and he is determined to keep things simple.

The former defender said: “It has been good but it’s just been about focusing on this next game, learning what we’ve done from the last game, what went well in the previous games.

“The biggest thing I keep saying to them is, ‘Can we improve?’ There are certain things that we know we need to get right.

“This group, with what has happened, have really rallied round each other and we’ve got to keep that - the players, the fans and the staff right at the heart of it, nothing comes inside that.”

Jackson could have Maxwel Cornet and Jay Rodriguez available, but Erik Pieters, Ben Mee, Johann Berg Gudmundsson and Ashley Westwood remain sidelined.