Cambridge United could be without a manager for their visit to Bristol Rovers next month with boss Mark Bonner in contention to take over at Championship side Rotherham United.
Bonner's stock has risen significantly in the game after leading Cambridge into League One in 2020/21. He then steered them to a comfortable finish in their first season in the third tier, finishing 18 points clear of the relegation zone.
The Us have made an excellent start this season, taking 16 points from their opening 10 games. They sit seventh in the table, just one point adrift of the top six and 36-year-old Bonner is attracting attention from higher up the pyramid as a result.
Bonner is a "serious contender" for the vacancy at Rotherham United, according to talkSPORT's Alex Crook. The Millers are searching for a new boss after Paul Warne was snapped up by Derby County last week. Should Bonner be offered the job, Cambridge could have a change in the dugout when they travel to the Mem to face the Gas on October 8.
He never played the game professionally, instead climbing the ranks at the Abbey Stadium since taking an academy coaching role in 2011. He would become a first-team coach in 2018, working under Shaun Derry and Joe Dunne before being named caretaker manager after their exits.
Colin Calderwood would take charge in 2018, but Bonner would succeed him in January 2020, with his first season curtailed by the COVID-19 pandemic. The following season, Bonner steered Cambridge to second place in League Two and he has continued to impress in the third tier.
Rotherham owner Tony Stewart has indicated he is hoping to recruit a younger manager. He told the Rotherham Advertiser: "Do we want a merry-go-round manager who goes from club to club? No. The first things I look for in a manager are intelligence and communication skills.
"He has to be able to communicate not to just with me but with everyone else at the club. Players come from all walks of life. You can't treat them all the same.
"He has to have experience of handling players, although not necessarily as a manager. We saw how well it worked when Paul Warne stepped up from fitness coach.
"I like a young manager. Why young? Because I don't like old habits. Old habits can be bad habits."
SIGN UP: To receive our free Rovers newsletter, bringing you the latest from the Mem
READ NEXT:
