Former Town stars Brian Talbot and Terry Butcher have commented on reports linking them with the vacant Portman Road manager's job. Talbot is currently manager at Rushden and Diamonds while former skipper Terry Butcher is the boss at Scottish side Motherwell.

Talbot has been installed as one of the frontrunners by bookmakers and significantly he does not rule himself out: “I know that I have been installed as second favourite to take the position and people are already talking about me taking over the managerial post.

“But I can't stop speculation and people have already asked me when am I coming back. However, that is not my decision, it's up to the board of directors at Portman Road.

“It's up to the board who they want to appoint and interview. But at this moment in time I am doing a job at Rushden & Diamonds and I am very happy to do that. All I am concentrating on is getting three points at Exeter.”

Talbot was in the 1978 FA Cup winning side along with George Burley and says he was disappointed and surprised to hear that his former team-mate had been dismissed: “I am sad but I have to say that I'm a little bit surprised. When people don't get good results then people make decisions. He has obviously had a poor run of results last season and it hasn't started to well in this campaign.

The Ipswich-born former midfielder was at Portman Road in July for the unveiling of the statue of Sir Alf Ramsey where he heard David Sheepshanks outlining the club's intentions for this season: “I was at Ipswich during the summer and their chairman was saying that it's a priority that they get back into the Premiership. In football nowadays people want success straight away."

Talbot is not the only ex-Town player being linked with a return to Portman Road. Legendary captain Terry Butcher is also amongst the lengthy list. Like Talbot he is not ruling anything out, although he suspects that Town may not go down the ex-player route this time around: “I'm employed at Motherwell at the moment and I'm really enjoying it. I'm happy at Fir Park.

"I'm Ipswich through and through and George is Ipswich through and through, but the club have been down the route of employing previous players so probably they will go for somebody different this time.”

Along with caretaker boss Tony Mowbray, former Stoke manager Mick Mills completes the list of ex-players being linked with the job. Mills looks very much an outsider after his previous management periods being somewhat less than successful.

Those without Town links who are likely to be in the running include ex-Sunderland manager Peter Reid, Joe Royle, Leicester's Micky Adams and from the lower divisions Plymouth's Paul Sturrock, Lawrie Sanchez from Wycombe, Hartlepool's Chris Turner as well as Ronnie Moore from Rotherham.

Other outsiders look to be Walter Smith, Nigel Worthington, Steve McMahon. Brian Little and David O'Leary.

However, with no name really emerging as an immediate frontrunner, at this stage it is anybody's guess who David Sheepshanks and his board may look to as George Burley's successor.

Photo: Action Images

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