Burnley are on the lookout for a new manager for the first time in a decade.
Friday morning saw the Clarets make the shock announcement that they had parted company with long-serving boss Sean Dyche. The 50-year-old had been at Turf Moor since October 2012, but with the club in real danger of surrendering their Premier League status, the powers-that-be have decided to make a change.
The club's chairman Alan Pace said: "Sean has been a credit both on and off the pitch, respected by players, staff, supporters, and the wider football community. However, results this season have been disappointing." He added: "We feel a change is needed to give the squad the best possible chance of retaining its Premier League status."
Here, Mirror Football looks at six possible names who could be in the mix for the vacancy.
Sam Allardyce
The go-to man for any club in need of a quick fix and a fillip in a relegation boost, Allardyce is unsurprisingly favourite with the bookies to replace Dyche.
The 67-year-old has a habit of sorting clubs out although he was powerless to prevent West Brom being relegated last season, despite having arrived at the Hawthorns midway through the campaign.
What might count against him here though is his Blackburn connections. He bossed Burnley's bitter rivals for two years, and there is no love lost at all between the two fanbases.
Joey Barton
Who should Burnley appoint? Let us know in the comments
An outside shot, Barton finished his playing career with the Clarets making 14 appearances in the Premier League. That was his second spell at Turf Moor and since then he's cut his managerial teeth with Fleetwood and now Bristol Rovers.
He got Fleetwood into the League One play-offs and is now attempting to steer Rovers into the League Two play-offs as they look for an immediate return to the third tier. He would be loathe to leave that project so late in the season. Also likely to be concerns from Burnley fans over his lack of coaching pedigree in the higher divisions.
Rafa Benitez
Benitez endured a horror six months in charge of Everton earlier this season.
The Spaniard was always going to be up against it having achieved so much across the city with Liverpool. But a wretched run of form resulted in him being axed in January.
Despite not being an obvious pairing, Benitez has experience of bringing Newcastle straight back up from the Championship. He laid the foundations before his surprise departure. Could be a left-field appointment.
Michael Duff
Another Burnley old boy, Duff has quietly been forging an excellent coaching CV lower down the leagues.
He's been boss of Cheltenham since 2018 and last season led them to the League Two title. This season, despite a modest budget, they have easily stayed up and they are well on course for a top-half finish which would represent a huge achievement.
Duff spent 12 years as a player at Burnley and is a fans' favourite. Clarets' striker Jay Rodriguez, who played alongside Duff, recently said: "There is no doubt in my mind that Duffo will reach the top and manage in the Premier League."
Wayne Rooney
Rooney has won plenty of plaudits for his management of a hugely testing situation at Derby County.
There's not much he hasn't had to deal with, including administration, points deductions and transfer embargoes. Despite all that his Derby side are somehow still in with a shout of safety against all the odds. Rooney's stock is high and after being linked with Everton after Benitez was sacked, he is clearly on the radar of clubs in the top flight.
Would be a bold choice for Burnley but he's shown he is more than capable of rolling his sleeves up in a relegation battle.
David Unsworth
Unsworth this week left Everton in his role as academy director and Under-23s manager. He is said to be looking to pursue his aspirations of becoming a first team manager.
His only experience in that field came as caretaker for the Toffees, on two separate occasions with the most recent in 2017. He said this week: "To give me the best chance of achieving my career aspirations - and becoming a permanent first team manager - I believe now is the right time for me to move on."
Unsworth is not only available immediately but knows Burnley well, having spent the 2007-08 campaign at Turf Moor.
