Former Hull boss Grant McCann emerges as a contender for the vacant Sunderland job to replace Lee Johnson… as he faces competition from Roy Keane and Alex Neil to reignite the Black Cats play-off push
- Former Hull boss Grant McCann has been interviewed for the Sunderland job
- Roy Keane and Alex Neil are in contention to replace outgoing Lee Johnson
- Sunderland currently sit third in League One, five points off the top spot
Sunderland have interviewed former Hull boss Grant McCann as their search for a new manager continues.
Sportsmail revealed yesterday that Roy Keane tops the list of many within the club and will be spoken to about returning to the Stadium of Light, 13 years after he quit as boss.
However, an appointment is unlikely to be confirmed before tomorrow’s visit of Doncaster.
Former Hull boss Grant McCann has been interviews for the vacant Sunderland manager’s job
Other names in the frame include former Preston boss Alex Neil.
The 6-0 defeat to Bolton forced the board at the Stadium of Light into a decision regarding Lee Johnson’s future and he was relieved of his duties – meaning Sunderland are searching for a new boss.
McCann, Keane and Neil are now reportedly the front-runners and all have strong CV’s.
McCann led Hull to promotion from League One in 2021, but left the Tigers following the takeover of the club by Turkish businessman Acun Ilıcalı.
Keane, 50, who took the Black Cats to the 2007 Championship title, has not managed since being sacked by Ipswich in 2011.
Neil last managed Preston North End where he enjoyed a successful stint between 2017-2021.
Roy Keane (left) and Alex Neil (right) are both among the front-runners for the Sunderland job
The Black Cats Sporting Director Kristjaan Speakman the SAFC Unfiltered podcast: ‘We had a really clear criteria on the type of coach we want to work for the club, what the requirements are of that individual, what we are judging them against because you need to have clarity with that member of staff.
‘Naturally we are running a succession plan for that position so we have been tracking coaches for over the last year.
‘That’s not because of anything under hand, any top business would be looking at who is their next Chief Executive, next head of sales, who is going to come through.
‘We have internal members of staff and obviously there is a big jump into moving onto who is going to be a head coach for a club the size of Sunderland.
‘We are also looking at who matches up with our style of play, who is progressing, who do we think is someone who can come in and add value to our football club.
‘The natural change that you get is when the position becomes vacant, other members of the football community pop up and there are people to consider that you might not have considered because you weren’t sure if they were available.’
Sunderland are not expected to appoint a new manager before facing Doncaster Rovers tomorrow evening.