A well-known figure has entered the race to replace former Aston Villa assistant manager Michael Beale at Sunderland.
After Michael Beale left Sunderland on Monday, former Aston Villa and Manchester United player Dwight Yorke stated he would be eager to take over at the Championship club.
The Black Cats announced on Monday afternoon that they had ended Beale’s 63-day tenure, which ended with a 2-1 loss against Birmingham City on Saturday afternoon. Beale managed just four victories in 12 games during his tenure.
It read: “Sunderland AFC has appointed Mike Dodds as the Club’s interim Head Coach. Dodds will lead the first team until the end of the 2023-24 season and replace Michael Beale, who departs the Stadium of Light with immediate effect. A member of the Club’s coaching team since August 2021, Dodds took charge of the Black Cats earlier this campaign and guided them to back-to-back wins in the Sky Bet Championship.”
The Stadium of Light administration will concentrate their efforts on finding a long-term Beale replacement during the summer now that Dodds will be in charge for the remainder of the campaign. Several people have been mentioned as potential candidates for the position, including former Fulham manager Scott Parker, Chelsea icon Frank Lampard, and former Nottingham Forest manager Steve Cooper.
However, Yorke, a former Villa player who spent three and a half years at the Stadium of Light and made over fifty appearances for the Black Cats, has said he would be “open-minded” about managing his former team or any of its Championship opponents should the opportunity present itself.
He told Gambling Zone: “I would just like the opportunity to manage Sunderland. I’ve played for these clubs and it would be nice to go back to Sunderland, but it doesn’t mean that I’d rule out managing another club in the EFL. I have to be open-minded to the challenge I’d have to take on.”