FORMER Wrexham assistant manager Kevin Reeves has played down the possibility of Darren Ferguson taking control of the Dragons - insisting that the midfielder is in the best form of his life.

Reeves ended a 12-year association with Wrexham when he and manager Brian Flynn left the Racecourse Ground on Monday only days after the pair had announced that they and team coach Joey Jones would resign from their roles at the end of the season.

Flynn was appointed manager of the club in 1989 and led Wrexham to promotion from Division Three four years later, but his greatest success came in 1992 when they defeated Champions Arsenal 2-1 on their way to the quarter-finals of the FA Cup.

However, the Welsh club have had a nightmare start to the new season and a 5-0 thrashing by Tranmere at Prenton Park on Friday finally ended Flynn and Reeves' long reign.

Although coach Jones has taken temporary charge at the Racecourse Ground he is not expected to remain with the club long-term, and speculation had been rife that midfielder Darren Ferguson was preparing to claim the manager's role.

Ferguson is assisting Jones with the coaching of the first team but despite suggestions that he will follow the lead of father and Manchester United manager Sir Alex into management, Reeves believes that the 29-year-old is playing too well to consider a permanent place in the dugout.

Reeves said, "Daz is 29 and he still wants to continue playing and at the moment he's playing as well as he ever has.

"For the two years that he has been with Wrexham he has been absolutely fantastic, and he is without doubt one of the best midfielders in the Second Division.

"He is young, although there are some young managers about at the moment - Brian (Flynn) was only 31 when he took over at Wrexham - I think Darren enjoys playing too much.

"He's very fit and healthy and still has a lot left in him."

In any case, Ferguson may well have upset Dragons officials after comments made about the club in a local newspaper.

He was quoted as saying that the Wrexham board had not given Flynn the necessary financial backing to make the club successful.

Bookmakers Jack Brown last night installed former Welsh international Kevin Ratcliffe as solid 2-1 favourite to fill the hot-seat vacated by Flynn after a number of bets were placed on the current Shrewsbury manager.