MICHAEL Ricketts laughed off his multi-million pound price tag today, dismissing Sam Allardyce's valuation as "tongue in cheek"!

Wanderers' 12-goal top scorer shrugged his shoulders at the manager's suggestion that he is worth £7 million in the current transfer climate and could be worth £12 million at the end of the season if he continues to improve.

"I saw where the gaffer's put a price on my head but it doesn't bother me at all," said the 21-year-old who cost a downpayment of just £250,000 when he joined Wanderers from Walsall in the summer. "I'm sure it was just a tongue in cheek remark."

Ironically, Ricketts failed to score for the first time in six games on Saturday when Wanderers' five match unbeaten run ended in a 1-0 defeat at Sheffield United. But, although disappointed with the result, he had every justification for being safisfied with his own performance in the lone striker's role.

"I thought I did all right but nothing came off for me," he explained. "It's hard work playing up there on your own but I always hope to score whenever I play.

"All I can hope is that, if I'm selected for the next game, something comes off.

"Things have been going quite well for me. I think performances could be better. Obviously goals overshadow performances sometimes - but I'm always confident of scoring."

Beaten by Lee Sandford's 81st minute goal in a game they felt they should have won, Wanderers know they will need to be at their best for Sunday's Reebok showdown with Watford.

"It was obviously very disappointing to concede a late goal when it was such a tight affair," Ricketts admitted. "It doesn't do your confidence any good.

"We'll see during the week how the lads are then we'll look for three points against Watford. I thought we'd done well on Saturday before we conceded that bad goal ... but these things happen."