Steve Clarke is set to be appointed as West Bromwich Albion manager by the weekend.
Clarke, who was the assistant manager under Kenny Dalglish at Liverpool, has emerged as the favourite to succeed Roy Hodgson after securing his departure from Anfield yesterday.
The 48-year-old has carved out a reputation as valuable assistant, working with Ruud Gullit and Jose Mourinho at Chelsea, the late Sir Bobby Robson at Newcastle United, Gianfranco Zola at West Ham United and, most recently, under Dalglish.
It is believed he is keen to step up to a manager’s role, although his only previous experience of the position, in August 1999, was a chastening one. On that occasion, Manchester United thrashed Clarke’s Newcastle United side 5-1.
West Brom appear to have moved quickly to get their man with Ralf Rangnick, the former Schalke manager, now seemingly out of the running. Michael Appleton, the Portsmouth manager, Keith Downing, the West Brom assistant manager, and Walter Smith, the hugely experienced former Rangers, Everton and Scotland manager, have also been linked with the vacancy.
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Under Hodgson last season, West Brom finished tenth, 11 points clear of the bottom three in the Barclays Premier League.
Clarke moved to Anfield in January last year when Dalglish was handed the reins at Liverpool following Hodgson’s disappointing six-month stint in charge of the club.
Among his first tasks will be to try to make Ben Foster’s loan move from Birmingham City a permanent one, although the goalkeeper is also a target for Queens Park Rangers, while Jonas Olsson - currently part of Sweden’s Euro 2012 squad - also has only a year remaining of his current deal.