"I had a preliminary talk with Glenn Hoddle prior to drawing up a shortlist.
"Because of the incessant speculation linking him with the job, I think it is important to stress we have decided he is no longer a contender."
Peace also confirmed that he had asked Wigan Athletic about the availability of their manager Paul Jewel only to be given the answer that he had expected."I spoke with Wigan chairman Dave Whelan but it was certainly not a formal approach," Peace told the club's official website.
"I was just checking Paul's situation in the correct manner.
"I asked Dave about Paul Jewell's position.
"I knew what the answer would be - that Paul is very happy at Wigan, and Dave confirmed this.
"But I wanted to formally rule Paul out of the equation in case I was asked about his circumstances by one of my colleagues on the board.
"I told Dave there and then I would not be taking the matter any further and thought this would remain a private conversation."