Frank Lampard among leading contenders for Coventry job

Frank Lampard is expected to be among up to five candidates Coventry City will speak to about their vacant manager’s job.

Coventry will speak to potential new managers this week, with former Chelsea and Everton manager Lampard among the leading names to succeed Mark Robins. Lampard is thought to be prepared to speak to Coventry, even though he has not formally applied for the job.

Ruud van Nistelrooy, who left Manchester United only last week, is also believed to be among the coaches Coventry would like to speak to.

Lampard has been out of management since being sacked by Everton in January 2023, but is keen to resume his coaching career if the right opportunity presents itself.

The 46-year-old has experience of coaching in the Championship after taking Derby County to the play-off final in 2019.

Coventry owner Doug King is believed to have a link to the Redknapp family. Harry Redknapp is Lampard’s uncle, with Harry’s son, Jamie, his cousin.

King has faced criticism from Coventry supporters for sacking Robins, who took the club to last season’s FA Cup semi-finals and the 2022-23 play-offs final, where they lost on penalties against Luton Town.

‘Nobody thought Birmingham would get relegated – and they did’

Coventry are 17th in the Championship, one point clear of the bottom three, and King said: “I cannot have the risk of us getting relegated. Nobody thought Birmingham would get relegated – and they did. The next appointment is very important.

“You can argue that this was a big mistake [to sack Robins]. But I had to do something. And everybody will make their judgment clear.”

Lampard was recently linked with the Roma job in Italy, but the Serie A club have appointed Claudio Ranieri since sacking Ivan Juric.

Van Nistelrooy managed PSV Eindhoven for one season in 2022-23. He took a job as one of Erik ten Hag’s assistants at United at the start of this season and was in interim charge for four games after the Dutchman was sacked, the last of which was the 3-0 victory over Leicester City.

Matt Bloomfield, whose Wycombe Wanderers team are top of League One ahead of Birmingham City and Wrexham, has also been linked with the Coventry job.