JOHN McGinlay is not surprised to see Neil Lennon at short odds to become the next manager of Leicester City – but is still keeping his fingers crossed he stays at Bolton.

Like anyone with a vested interest in the Whites, the club legend has been on red alert since the moment Nigel Pearson’s sacking was announced at the King Power Stadium.

It has now emerged that Lennon’s name is on a shortlist which has been compiled by the Foxes board, who are keen to fill the vacant position quickly. And that could spell bad news for Wanderers, should the Foxes decide to make an official approach.

But McGinlay holds out hope that Lennon will stay on to complete the job he started just nine months ago, even though he has faced some testing times since arriving at the Macron Stadium.

“I think the reality has set in this summer,” he told The Bolton News. “But you can’t argue that he did a terrific job last season and hopefully he’ll get to continue that next season.

“It doesn’t surprise me at all to see him linked with the Leicester job right away. He’s held in very high regard down there and in many ways it’s his club.

“But I’m sure I’m not alone in saying I want him to stay.

“He’s started the building process and got the people believing in the football club again. It would be a crying shame to see him leave before he really got started.”

The current speculation could hardly have come at a more inopportune time for Wanderers, who are just days away from putting their pre-season preparations into top gear.

Lennon is due to fly out with the players and staff on Sunday for a fitness camp in Austria and is only part of the way through a mammoth rebuilding job on the first-team squad.

A handful of trialists, including Honduras international Wilson Palacios and ex-Crystal Palace striker Stephen Dobbie, have been at training this week.

Others deals including Dutch defender Nick Kuipers and former Newcastle United full-back Ryan Taylor remain in transition.

And a handful of players who have been earmarked by Lennon over the last few months, at home and abroad, are also waiting for a call from the Wanderers boss.

Should he leave at this stage of the summer then McGinlay fears it could be back to square one for the club’s recruitment.

“I know he hasn’t been able to make too many changes yet but he’s started to put his own mark on things,” he said.

“He’s brought some people in on trial, made a couple of signings that I know were no-brainers but it has started the ball rolling.

“A lot of work has been put in behind the scenes as well.

“That is where some of the bigger clubs have changed things – scouting departments are separate entities and they stay behind so that there isn’t as much disruption. If Neil left tomorrow, a lot of those targets go with him.”

Lennon has no shortage of support in the East Midlands and came out fourth in a fans’ poll run by the local newspaper yesterday, beaten by Jurgen Klopp, Esteban Cambiasso and his former mentor Martin O’Neill.

His former team-mates have also been beating the drum, including Tony Cottee who feels he is the ideal character to take on the squad that beat relegation last season under Pearson.

"I know who should be put in charge and that is Neil Lennon," said the former Foxes striker, who played alongside Lennon for three years at Leicester’s old home, Filbert Street.

"I suppose I am a little biased because we played together at Leicester. But he did a great job at Celtic and then at Bolton. He is the perfect fit.

"He will bring passion and commitment to the role. He was thrown in at the deep end at Celtic, and played Champions League football.

"He went to Bolton when they looked like they would get relegated and they survived easily in the end.

"He is a Leicester man and knows what the club means to the fans and what they want to see.

"He is the right man to take the club forward and deserves a shot in the Premier League."