Sheffield Wednesday next manager: Former Southampton and Stoke City manager an early candidate

Wednesday parted company with Xisco after a short and difficult time at the club that sees them rooted to the bottom of the Championship table.

Neil Thompson will take on caretaker duties for this weekend’s home clash with Huddersfield Town, with an appointment expected in the two-week international break that follows.

Just hours after the confirmation of Xisco’s exit, sources have suggested to The Star that former Luton Town, Stoke City and Southampton boss Nathan Jones is a name that is to be considered by the Owls as they go about trying to battle back from their poor start to the season.

Jones is understood to have been spoken to and considered for the job before Xisco was appointed in July.

The Star understands he is open to the possibility of taking on the Wednesday job.

Jones, aged 50, achieved great success over two spells with Luton Town, with shorter stints with Stoke City and latterly in the Premier League with Southampton.

The Welshman has been out of work since leaving St Marys in February and has recently spoken of a desire to get back into management - though he is said to be waiting for the right opportunity.

Speaking earlier this summer, Jones said: “As a manager when you're in there, it consumes you in every aspect of your life.

“So I've enjoyed a bit of family time, I've been away on holiday which I don't usually get to do. I'm really looking forward to my next challenge. I'm refreshed and I'm ready.

“I'm a builder, I like to build,” he said. “I like to be at places for a long time. Ironically, I believe that our work is deep and not just results based.

“If you look at my previous club [Luton Town] we built a club there that wasn't reliant on just a manager being in place, right throughout the processes, the recruitment, the structure, the culture, the philosophy, everything is in place there and has been for a long, long time.

“I left on two occasions but the club kept doing well, so it shows that whatever had been built had been built on solid foundations.”