DANNY Ward will not be returning to Swindon Town, and Robins boss Danny Wilson is desperate for the speculation surrounding the Bolton youngster to stop as he looks to lead his current crop of players to safety.

Ward has long been mentioned as a potential loan target for the struggling County Ground outfit, and the club began January optimistic he could be tempted into a second temporary spell in Wiltshire.

But those flickering hopes have now been extinguished as, with Championship sides Nottingham Forest and Preston amongst others vying for his services, Wilson has switched his focus fully to keeping Town up with the squad at his disposal.

And the Swindon manager just wants to move onward without Ward.

“Everybody keeps talking about Danny Ward, Danny Ward isn’t our salvation. There’s lots of players out there,” he said. “Because Danny did so well last year you can’t be pinning your hopes on him coming back. He won’t come back.

“Let’s put it to bed. There’s plenty of players out there, if we can get a hold of them. It’s not just Danny Ward.”

Wilson confirmed Town will continue to scan the market for potential additions, but he reiterated how frustrating the loan window can be.

As he prepares his troops for another stringent test at Colchester this afternoon, the 51-year-old said any more talk of 19-year-old Ward would be utterly pointless.

When asked whether it would be energy wasted mentioning the striker’s name, Wilson said: “Completely wasted. I don’t waste my energy on him, other people seem to but I don’t.

“The most important thing is the group and they’re my priority at this moment in time. Everyone we’re trying (to bring in) at this moment in time is very difficult.

“We have to get on with what we’ve got in the group and stop worrying about what’s going to come in. We have to stop saying ‘Is somebody going to be the salvation to us?’ “No it’s not, we’re going to do it ourselves and that’s the mentality we have to have.”

Meanwhile Wilson rubbished suggestions Thursday’s meeting with chief executive Nick Watkins and board member Jeremy Wray was anything out of the ordinary.

“We had a discussion like we have all the time, and with the players as well,” he said.

“It’s nothing unusual that we’ve never had before. We see the board and the chief exec on a regular basis.

“Making a meal of that is way beyond the mark.”

Callum Kennedy has joined Rotherham United on loan until the end of the season. The full-back has already spent time away from the County Ground with Gillingham this term.