Middlesbrough will hold talks with Michael Carrick on Tuesday over their vacant manager’s job.
The ex-Manchester United and England midfielder, who was put in caretaker charge at Old Trafford when Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was sacked last season, is one of a number of candidates Boro intend to speak to as they look to replace Chris Wilder.
They have already held discussions with Rob Edwards, who was sacked by Watford in September, and have been impressed with the 39-year-old, who led Forest Green Rovers to League One last season.
Carrick is understood to have been recommended by England boss Gareth Southgate, who has a strong relationship with Boro chairman Steve Gibson following his time there as a player and manager.
Carrick has been taking time away from the game since leaving United ahead of the arrival of Ralf Rangnick as interim manager in 2021.
After more than 20 years in the game as a player and coach, 41-year-old Carrick is said to have been keen to take time out for personal reasons.
Boro are also keen to speak to other names on their list of targets including Hannes Wolf – the Germany U18s boss who was also in temporary charge of Bayer Leverkusen last year, and has had spells at Genk, Hamburg, Stuttgart and Borussia Dortmund II.
Scott Parker, who was sacked by Bournemouth earlier this season, and out-of-work Sean Dyche are also in Boro’s thinking as they search for the right successor to Wilder.