Assistant manager Willie Donachie says he wants to succeed Joe Royle as Town boss. Donachie worked with Royle at Oldham, Everton and Manchester City before rejoining him at Portman Road in 2002 after a spell coaching at Sheffield Wednesday.

Chief executive Derek Bowden told the club site that there has already been interest in the Town manager's position: "The calls have been coming in and we are taking applications for the job now.

"We have spoken to Willie, as we have done with the rest of the coaching staff, and he will take charge of first team matters on a temporary basis while we look for a new manager.

"But Willie has thrown his hat into the ring and has told us that he would like to be considered for the job.

"He is keen to stay at the club, loves the area and loves Ipswich Town and will be considered for the job along with everyone else who applies."

Bowden says that the position of the rest of the Town coaches has not yet been affected by Royle's departure: "Their roles remain the same. We have agreed to part company with Joe and only Joe."

Donachie is unlikely to get the job as the Blues understood to be after a younger man with Colchester's Phil Parkinson and Preston's Billy Davies thought to be at the top of the list.

Former skipper Tony Mowbray has been mentioned in connection with Town and another of his former clubs Middlesbrough, a job which is likely to be more attractive to the Ayresome Park legend.

Hibs chairman Rod Petrie is keen to hold onto Mowbray and has dismissed suggestions that the former central defender is on his way out of Easter Road: "We are in the silly season.

"Something happens 300 or 400 miles away and suddenly people think we have to comment on it. It is not for us to comment on any other club's business.

"We have a manager who has done a great job with us in his first two years.

"We have a lot of plans we are working on for the future of the club and we are happily getting on with them

"We are looking forward to next season and Tony is laying the foundations for it, starting on July 1st with the InterToto Cup."

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