Sunderland yet to contact Duncan Ferguson in head coach search amid Mick McCarthy interest

Duncan Ferguson has been installed as the early bookies' favourite to succeed Lee Johnson at Sunderland - but ChronicleLive understands there has been no contact between the club and his representatives.

Everton hero Ferguson was appointed as interim manager at Goodison Park in the wake of Rafa Benitez's sacking earlier this month, but the Toffees are set to bring in Frank Lampard as their new permanent boss.

Lampard is expected to bring his own backroom team to Merseyside and that has led to reports that Ferguson will leave the club where he has been part of the first-team coaching setup since 2014.

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Johnson's sacking last night led to an immediate flurry of speculation that former Scotland international and Newcastle United striker Ferguson could be in line to take over at the Stadium of Light, but as of this morning there had been no contact with the Ferguson camp.

Another contender for the Sunderland vacancy is Mick McCarthy, who ChronicleLive understands would be interested in a return to the club where he spent three years in charge in the early 2000s.

There is believed to have been some initial contact between McCarthy and Sunderland, and one possibility is that the 62-year-old could take on the job for the remainder of the season.

McCarthy was originally appointed Sunderland manager in 2003 when the club was already on course for relegation from the Premier League.

The following season he led the club to the play-off semi-finals as they fell short of making an immediate return to the top flight, but in his second full season in charge the Black Cats were promoted as champions.

Former Republic of Ireland boss McCarthy is currently out of work having been sacked by Championship side Cardiff City in October.

Other names linked with the job include Grant McCann, who was sacked by Championship club Hull City last week, and former Celtic manager Neil Lennon.

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