Premier League legend among candidates for Coventry City job ahead of Sheffield United clash

Sheffield United may have to be wary of the new-manager bounce when they take on Coventry City in their first game back in Championship action after the international break. City recently made the big decision to sack boss Mark Robins after a slow start to the current campaign, which saw the Blues go into the break 17th in the table.

Robins spent seven years in charge at Coventry, which included two promotions, four Wembley trips and an FA Cup semi-final appearance, with Rhys Carr placed in interim charge until a permanent appointment is made. Lee Carsley, the former United assistant manager who recently took interim charge of the England national team following Gareth Southgate’s resignation, has also been linked with the job.

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But the eye-catching contender is former England international Frank Lampard, who is amongst a number of managers interested in the vacant post ahead of next weekend’s home clash with table-topping United. City owner Doug King told Sky Sports this week: "We've received a huge amount of CVs from high-quality people of which Frank is one.

"We've done nothing on that process... but clearly we're in the international break, we'll be assessing everything. We'll work out who's going to make the shortlist and we'll go from there. I'm trying to be open and transparent. I work hard and I give honest answers. Sometimes a tough decision has to be made. I'm sorry it had to be made. I like Mark Robins. And we've had good times together - but it had to be made. We have had a lot of applications. We have a recruitment process in place."

Current Blades boss Chris Wilder has gone toe-to-toe with Lampard before, beating his Derby County side in a fiery affair at Bramall Lane and also savouring a 3-0 win over Lampard’s Chelsea during lockdown. Lampard was also in charge of the Blues for a 4-1 victory over the Blades the following season, and has been out of management work since returning to Stamford Bridge as caretaker boss towards the end of the 2022/23 campaign.