West Bromwich Albion head coach Steve Clarke has insisted that striker Shane Long is not 'upset' by the constant speculation surrounding his future.

The Republic of Ireland international has been linked with a move away from The Hawthorns as his contract is due to expire at the end of the season.

Despite the time ticking down on his current deal, reports have claimed that talks over fresh terms at West Brom are yet to take place.

"There's been a lot of focus on Shane's contract situation in the media but I look at Shane's performance against Chelsea and I don't think it's upsetting him too much," Clarke told the club's official website.

"His performance levels are good. He needs to concentrate on keeping those performance levels and the future will take care of itself."

Long is said to have been close to moving to Hull City in the summer, but a proposed move fell through.