The football agent Mark Curtis, who was appointed as a "headhunter" by Bolton Wanderers and charged with finding them a new manager, has denied having a conflict of interest in that he represents Gary Megson, the successful candidate, reports The Guardian.

"I am not Gary Megson's agent," Curtis said. "I know that Gary took another agent into Bolton with him [to negotiate his contract] this morning. I think he used Mickey Walsh, who he has known for 10 years."

Wanderers chairman Phil Gartside issued a statement on Bolton's website spelling out Curtis's role, in which he stressed that Curtis did not act as the agent of "anyone on our target list".

On Tuesday Graeme Souness said he had withdrawn from the race to succeed Lee because he "could not believe" Curtis was involved in the recruitment process and had sat in when Gartside interviewed him for the post last week.

Curtis, speaking from abroad, said: "I came in at Leicester to help Gary as a friend with the contract negotiations after they had approached Gary and offered him the job."