Gavin Skelton insists he is not looking further than tomorrow’s game as he begins life as Carlisle United’s caretaker manager.

Steven Pressley’s former No2 says he has not yet put his CV in for the permanent job as he is only focusing on the Blues’ trip to Port Vale.

Skelton would not be drawn on whether he covets the top position but said he would love to remain at Brunton Park.

The short-term aim, though, is preparing the side for tomorrow’s League Two game, the first since Pressley’s sacking.

“I haven’t put my CV in, and my focus is just on the game at Port Vale,” Skelton said at a press conference today.

“Once we get to Monday we’ll go from there. I’m sure the club have got a recruitment process ongoing, but a lot has happened this week so our focus is just on the Port Vale game at the moment.

“I haven’t thought about what might happen in the future because it has been such a crazy week. I really enjoy working at the football club and I really enjoy the role I’ve got at the moment.

“I really enjoyed working with the manager, and it’s a club I want to work at. I’ve enjoyed the assistant manager role, which is a step up from working with the under-18s which I really enjoyed last year.

“We’ll see what happens after the weekend, but getting three points at Port Vale is the most important thing for us.”

Skelton will be joined by coaches Nathan Rooney and Craig Wight, along with fitness coach Dave Waldie and physio Neil Dalton, in the dugout at Vale Park.

They have been taking training yesterday and today with Skelton saying the board have only asked them to oversee things until the weekend’s game at the moment.

The 38-year-old former Workington and Queen of the South manager said he had not been given any indication of the process of appointing a successor to Pressley.

He said: “They [directors] have just given us the support to Saturday. They don’t need to tell me [anything else about the process] – they’re in charge and it’s their prerogative.

Skelton said he would be happy to stay in caretaker charge for a longer period if the board ask him.

He added: “Whatever they ask, I genuinely am [happy]. It’s been a manic few days, a lot has gone on. I don’t know the process – I’m sure there is a process – but all I’ve been asked is to take training Thursday-Friday and the game Saturday.

“I really enjoy working at the football club. I do genuinely enjoy my role. I’m keen to stay at the football club and work at the football club.”

Skelton said the players had trained well since the news broke of Pressley’s dismissal, while the caretaker boss spoke highly of the man who this week left Brunton Park after a 10-month reign.

The pair spoke on Wednesday after Pressley was informed that he was being dismissed.

Skelton said: “He [Pressley] was disappointed. He’s put a lot into it. His work ethic is unbelievable.

“He wished us all the best and sent a message for me to pass on to the players to thank them for their efforts. That shows he’s thinking about the players and the club, not just himself.

“It’s been a difficult week. It always is when someone loses their job. Sometimes people just see the football side of it, but the gaffer was a really good man. He was really fair with me and really fair with the players, and I don’t think you’ll hear anyone around the building say a bad word about him.

“He treated everyone with respect and treated everyone as a human being, which is sometimes forgotten about in the world of football where results are everything and people are judged on that.

“I know that every single player, just about, has been in touch with the gaffer to thank him for his efforts with them.

“It’s really disappointing for him, but he appreciates football moves on, and everyone in the club wishes him all the best.

“The players trained well yesterday. They’re disappointed for the manager, but they understand that this is, unfortunately, football sometimes and they have to get on with it, and will get on with it.

“We’re all professionals and we’ve all been through this kind of thing before, so whatever your feelings are, we’ll all work hard to make sure we represent the club well on Saturday afternoon.

“They are a professional group. Whatever they think or feel, they were good yesterday. They’re a resilient bunch, footballers are footballers and it will be the same at every football club – they’ll just have to crack on, be professional and represent the club.”

On the coaching set-up that is preparing for the Vale Park trip, Skelton added: “We’ve had a meeting this morning, and it’s clear what’s expected from each other and in passing the information on to the players.

“We have good staff right around the club who’ve been very supportive. It is a strange time. Football’s no different from any workplace. If a colleague goes, it does change the dynamics for a day or so. But the staff have been great.”

When asked how much he felt he could put his stamp on the job in the immediate term, Skelton said: “You can put little bits in, but that’s [down to] your personality.

“You don’t have to change a lot but we all have different personalities, and certain players will pick up different bits from that. That’s just the way different people react.”

On the injury front, meanwhile, Skelton said midfielder Stefan Scougall remains a doubt for tomorrow’s game but will hopefully return against Cambridge next weekend.