Richie Barker wants to stay at Crawley despite being linked with the vacant managerial positions at Barnsley and Doncaster Rovers.

Barker is believed to be on a shortlist for the Barnsley job after Terry Butcher followed former Reds boss Sean O’Driscoll in turning down the opportunity to replace Keith Hill yesterday.

The struggling Championship club have been impressed with the way Barker has guided Crawley to eighth place in their first year in League One and believe he could be the ideal man to lift them away from the bottom of the table.

Doncaster – where Barker had a loan spell in 1995 – are also thought to be interested in speaking to the Reds boss following the departure of Dean Saunders to Wolves on Monday. They are currently second in League One, nine points ahead of Crawley.

Both jobs would offer Barker a return to his native Yorkshire but the 37-year-old insists he is keen and finish the job he has started at Crawley following his arrival from Bury in the summer.

Barker said: “It is always flattering when you are linked with other jobs at it shows you must be doing something right but I am enjoying myself at Crawley and want to continue the work I have started.

“When I came to Crawley in the summer the idea was to put a long-term plan in place for the club and I am still committed to seeing that through.”