Steve Cooper is being linked with the Nottingham Forest job.

The Daily Mail says Cooper is a leading candidate to be the next manager of Nottingham Forest after Chris Hughton was sacked on Thursday.

The 41-year-old has admirers in the boardroom at the City Ground and is currently out of work after leaving Swansea in July by mutual consent. Sportsmail reported on Wednesday that Hughton's position was hanging by a thread.

Forest are thought to be attracted by Cooper's knowledge of young players and his ability to improve them.

He led Swansea to the Championship play-offs in each of the last two seasons and also guided an England Under-17 squad containing Jadon Sancho, Phil Foden and Callum Hudson-Odoi to World Cup glory four years ago.

Former Blackburn boss Steve Kean, who has just returned from a spell in Australia as interim boss of Melbourne Victory after spells in Brunei and Greece, has contacted the club directly to throw his name into the ring of candidates.