“I understand how the media works. I understand who’s that (the writers) and what that (story) is aimed at.”

While he did not disclose the details of his salary‚ Baxter insisted that he was not earning anything close to the amount that has been widely reported since last year.

“By the way both of those facts or ‘supposed facts’ (about his salary) are not true.

“I earn just about kick-in-the-a** of what I earned at club level.

“If anybody can listen now‚ I paid off my salary to SuperSport to leave because I was so passionate about wanting the (Bafana) job.

“So this (story of) R1 million a month is absolute fantasy. But that’s the bye and bye.”

Bafana have not played a match since bombing out of the World Cup qualifiers in November last year and Baxter was at pains to explain what he has been doing in the last few months.

“I have been in Europe twice and I have secured one extra player for South Africa‚ Joel Untersee‚” he said

“Joel is a Juventus player (right back) but is on loan to Serie B outfit Empoli in Italy. He was born in Benoni.

“He’s now committed to play for South Africa.

“His dad is from Switzerland and he’s played for the Under-21 of Switzerland.”

The Briton said there’s some work also that he’s been quietly doing in the country as he prepares to blood in new and young blood in his team ahead of the restart of the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) qualifiers later this year.

“I have been doing club visits‚ all over SA‚” he said.

“I’ve had sessions with the ladies (national) team and with the Under 19s before they went to Cosafa Cup. I have done workshops with the coaches.

“So to assume that I don’t work… I think everybody who knows me knows that I miss very‚ very much the smell of the grass.

“Sitting in that office is not what I can call work.”