DWIGHT YORKE SAYS he wants to be Aston Villa’s new manager after the Premier League club parted company with Tim Sherwood.
Sherwood left Villa Park having won just once in the league this season, with Villa bottom of the table after Saturday’s 2-1 defeat to Swansea City.
Former Lyon coach Remi Garde has emerged as one of the front-runners for the job but former Trinidad and Tobago assistant Yorke says he has what it takes to turn Villa around — despite having absolutely zero managerial experience.
“People are going to say I’m crazy for putting my name in the hat but I’ve been involved in football for a very long time and, having played for Aston Villa for 10 years, I’ve looked at the club and seen the direction they’re heading in – it’s a dire situation,” he told talkSPORT.
“It’s a situation that’s been ongoing for around five years now. You look at the way Villa have spent their time in the Premier league, avoiding relegation just by the skin of their teeth. They’re bottom of the league now and it’s a very worrying time for the club.”
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"Aston Villa are supposed to be the biggest club in the Midlands, but they're nowhere near. They think they are a big club but the reality is that Villa, certainly in the last five or six years, have been deteriorating rapidly and that’s why they're at the bottom of the table.
He added: "People will say I don't have any experience, but we've seen people with experience go in there and struggle to do a job. I know that club inside out and I've looked at the squad, there's enough in there to get them out in this position and there's enough time as well.
"Villa need something to really spark them up right now. I spent 10 years there, I had a fantastic relationship with the fans there and I just feel when I look around at the managers up for grabs at the moment that they need something a bit more exciting to come in and really lift the place."
Here are five possible candidates for the role:
Remi Garde (4/6)
The Frenchman, a former Arsenal player who last managed Lyon in 2014, is currently the favourite to fill the role. However, reports suggest there could be a number of stumbling blocks in relation to bringing in his own backroom staff.
David Moyes (6/1)
The ex-Everton and Manchester United boss is still in charge of Real Sociedad, but he could be tempted with a move back to England as the Basque club are struggling in 17th position in the table.
Gus Poyet (4/1)
Out of a job since being sacked by Sunderland back in March, after his team suffered a 4-0 defeat to Villa, Poyet is reportedly in the running to take over from his former Spurs team-mate.
Brendan Rodgers (8/1)
It hasn't been a month since Rodgers departed Liverpool but he could be in line for a speedy return to the Premier League.
Nigel Pearson (12/1)
Pearson worked wonders at Leicester City during the second half of last season before falling out with the owners and exiting over the summer.