Derby County's troubled off-season endured another blow on Friday, with manager Wayne Rooney dramatically calling time on his stint in the hotseat.
The former England and Manchester United striker leaves after 17 turbulent months, having endured a number of off-field issues such as administration and botched takeovers.
The thoughts of Rams' supporters is now turning to who his successor will be. And as far as the bookies are concerned, there is one name standing out as heavy favourite.
Liam Rosenior, who was Rooney's assistant coach, is odds-on to succeed him in the dugout. Rosenior, 37, was recently linked with the Blackpool job before Michael Appleton was hired by the Tangerines.
Now, with Rooney having departed, many believe Rosenior will step into the breach for what would be his first managerial role.
Betfair have him as 4/6 favourite to take the top role at a club he first joined three years ago. Also high on the list is former Burnley boss Sean Dyche. The 50-year-old has been without a club since dramatically leaving Turf Moor in April.
Whether he would be willing to drop down to League One remains to be seen, with Dyche likely to be more becoming towards a job in the second tier.
Who should Derby appoint as Rooney's replacement? Let us know in the comments
Former Derby boss Frank Lampard is another surprise name on the list and his short odds (6/1) are odd considering he is in employment at Premier League side Everton. Many have linked Rooney with the Goodison Park job but the chances of what effectively would be a job swap appear slim.
John Terry is also on the list at 12/1. Terry left his role as assistant manager at Aston Villa a year ago and has since taken up a coaching consultancy role at Chelsea's academy.
But he has previously spoken of his desire to become a number one. Speaking after his Villa exit last summer, he said: "Having given my future serious consideration over the summer, I genuinely don’t feel it is fair to move into a new season without being certain of seeing that through.
“My immediate plan is to spend some quality time with my family and, thereafter, hopefully take up some invitations to visit clubs and managers around Europe to develop my aim and objective of becoming a manager. It has always been my ambition to move into football management and, providing the right opportunity presents itself, I feel ready to take up such a challenge.”
Rooney made a lengthy statement upon his departure from Pride Park, saying: "I feel the club now needs to be led by someone with fresh energy and not affected by events that have happened over the last 18 months. My time at the club has been a rollercoaster of emotions, both highs and lows, but I have to say that I have enjoyed the challenge."
Next Derby manager odds, via Betfair
Liam Rosenior: 4/6
Sean Dyche: 4/1
Frank Lampard: 6/1
Steve Cooper: 8/1
Steve McClaren: 10/1
John Terry: 12/1
