Former Celtic boss Neil Lennon has been linked with the management vacancy at Portman Road.
According to the Daily Record, the former Northern Ireland international is believed to be on the shortlist at Town and is said to be excited about the role.
The 50-year-old, who has also spent time in charge at Bolton and Hibernian, is said to have spoken about the job with his one-time Bhoys team-mate Paul Lambert, who was in charge at Portman Road until March.
With Town unlikely to have a shortlist at this stage, CEO Mark Ashton having told TWTD on Monday that sifting through the candidates who have made their interest known would take place in the next 48 hours, the story would appear highly speculative.
Elsewhere, Ryan Lowe, who we understand was among the bosses to have caught the eye of the Town hierarchy over recent months, yesterday left Plymouth to join Preston as their new manager.
Betting-wise, former Waterford boss and ex-QPR midfielder Marc Bircham is now the favourite, at 5-4 on with one bookmaker, presumably due to him having been at last night’s game at Charlton. However, it’s understood little should be read into that.
Former Millwall manager Neil Harris, who was interesting Marcus Evans prior to the appointment of Paul Cook, is second at 2-1 with MK Dons head coach Liam Manning third, 8-1, and interim-manager John McGreal fourth at 12-1 alongside former Blues defender Frank Yallop, who is currently sporting director/head coach at USL side Monterey Bay.
Yallop previously worked at Arizona United, now Phoenix Rising, the club in which the Blues’ Three Lions are also investors and where Bircham spent a brief spell as assistant manager.
The former Canadian international is followed in the betting by Sunderland boss Lee Johnson, John Terry, Lincoln manager Michael Appleton, who previously worked with Ashton and Mike O’Leary at West Brom and Oxford, and Frank Lampard, all at 16-1.
Neil Warnock, former Newport boss Michael Flynn, ex-Norwich managers Alex Neil and Chris Hughton, Cambridge manager Mark Bonner, Oxford boss Karl Robinson, ex-Aberdeen and Bristol City manager Derek McInnes, recently sacked Charlton chief Nigel Adkins and Lennon are all at 25-1.
One name yet to appear in the betting but believed to be a potential candidate is Chelsea assistant head coach Anthony Barry, who cut his teeth as assistant to Paul Cook at Wigan before moving to Stamford Bridge in August 2020.
The 35-year-old also works part-time on Stephen Kenny’s Republic of Ireland coaching staff.