NEIL Redfearn continues to wait to sign a contract to be the third permanent Leeds boss of the season but says he is "very close" to doing so.

The 49-year-old has been the man-in-waiting to replace the sacked Darko Milanic since the Slovenian was dispensed with on Saturday, but talks with controversial president Massimo Cellino have yet to yield a contract.

Stepping up from his secure role with the club's academy is seen as a dangerous move for the club's perennial caretaker, owing to Cellino's propensity to fire coaches. He sacked 36 in 22 years with Cagliari and has seen off three in five months at Leeds.

Redfearn was asked to return to the dugout when Milanic bit the dust after only 32 days and is preparing the side for Saturday's game at Cardiff but, as things stand, he does not know if that will be in a caretaker or full-time capacity.

"It's very close," the former Barnsley midfielder said on Thursday.

"I had a good chat with Massimo yesterday and we went through one or two things. It's not that far away.

"I wanted some assurances from the conversations I had, where he saw me at the club and the club going forward. He said I was the future and I wanted to know if that was still the case. He said 'you are'. I wanted the contract to reflect certain things."

One of those granted assurances is that Redfearn will return to his role at the head of the academy if Cellino's impatient streak resurfaces, but the former is not considering the negative option.

"It seems to be shorter here (a coach's life) but you can spend the rest of your life wondering. You have to go on and make things happen and be positive. There's no let up now.

"This is a massive honour. It's a massive football club with a great tradition and the owner has a desire to make it great (again). I can see that, that's a genuine opinion from me and if I can be part of that down the line it's a fantastic honour. I'm capable of doing it now it's a case of knuckling down and concentrating on the footy."

A lifelong Leeds fan, Redfearn's ascent to the top job at Elland Road has been a slow one, having joined the club's academy staff in 2009.

He has had four caretaker spells since then and resisted interest from other clubs in order to remain with Leeds.

But, even if things do not work out with the first team, he is sure he will continue to enjoy working at his boyhood club.

"I would be happy taking the Under-11s," he added.

"Massimo sees me here for the long haul but there are no guarantees in football. If it was as easy as guaranteeing wins we would all be managers. It's got to be worked at and earned and I know that as well.

" The bigger picture is whatever happens needs to be for the good of Leeds United. If it takes me on, great, if it doesn't I will be back with the academy."

Cellino is a notoriously fiery character and a story emerged in Italy this week of former Cagliari coach Nedo Sonneti claiming he was shown the door for eating a seabass.

Redfearn acknowledges his boss has a passionate side, but is ready to give as good as he gets along the way.

"He tells me what he thinks!," Redfearn said.

"But I give it back to him and he wants to know. He's strong, but we get on well. He knows I am strong and we have to make it work together."