Zola: I don't know about Chelsea job

Watford boss Gianfranco Zola will not rule out a return to Chelsea as the club's manager, but insists he is focused on finishing the job he has started at Vicarage Road and is not prepared to walk out on the Championship club.

Zola has guided Watford into the automatic promotion places and, with his stock as a manager rising following a testing spell in charge at West Ham, the Italian has been touted as a possible summer replacement for interim Chelsea coach Rafael Benitez.

Benitez confirmed on Wednesday night that his position as Chelsea's temporary boss will not be made permanent at the end of the season, as the Spaniard finally cracked under the pressure from Blues supporters opposing his appointment.

Zola's position as one of Chelsea's greatest players makes him an obvious future candidate for the Stamford Bridge hot seat, and the Italian is ranked at 20/1 by bookmakers to return at the end of the campaign.

And although unwilling to express his desire to join Chelsea due to his commitment to Watford, Zola admits he does not know what the future holds for him.

"There is no pressure in giving you an ­answer," Zola told the Daily Star.

"Obviously, I am a legend over there – I’m aware that people value me very much as much as I value them.

"But what is going to happen in the future I don’t know.

"One thing for sure is I love what I am ­doing at Watford. I love this club and the supporters and everybody.

"Now I want to give them a huge ­contribution and then we’ll see. A lot of what happens in the future depends on the ­contribution I will be able to give to them.

"That is what I am focused on. I need to prove myself over here first."