Teddy Sheringham lasted eight months as the manager of Stevenage but 16 months after being sacked the former England striker has been offered the chance to try his hand at management once more with Swindon Town.
Sheringham was approached by Lee Power, their chairman, at the 51-year-old’s local golf club. Luke Williams lost his job at Swindon after they were relegated to Sky Bet League Two a month ago.
The former Manchester United player has to weigh up whether to take the plunge with the Wiltshire club or wait for potential opportunities closer to his east London home. He has been linked with Leyton Orient should Nigel Travis, the chief executive of Dunkin’ Donuts, complete his purchase of the club.
The Times understands that Sheringham would be given £2 million to fund an immediate return to League One and that Power is interested in a one-year project to secure promotion rather than anything longer term.
It was widely assumed that candidates for the Swindon post were cautious about working with Tim Sherwood, the director of football at the club. However, Sheringham has been assured that Sherwood, who he played alongside at Tottenham Hotspur, operates as a consultant and his day-to-day involvement with team matters is limited.
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Sheringham is keen to prove himself after confessing to “making one mistake per day” at Stevenage. He maintains that he learnt the hard way in his first job in management and admitted to feeling worthless and unemployable when he lost his job. He was so wrapped up the club’s fortunes that he attended a game in disguise five days later to find out how the team would cope without him for better or worse.
Sheringham played 51 times for England and was still active in the Premier League with West Ham at 40. He signed for Colchester United in 2007, becoming the oldest player across all four divisions of the Football League.
Portsmouth, meanwhile, have appointed Kenny Jackett as their new manager. Jackett, 55, has signed a two-year deal with the newly promoted League One club.