Roy Keane is under consideration for the vacant manager's job at Sunderland.
Keane had a successful spell on Wearside between 2006 and 2008, when he took Sunderland into the Premier League.
However, his only roles since leaving Ipswich in 2011 were as an assistant and television pundit.
In his recent interview with former Manchester United team-mate Gary Neville, the Irishman questioned why he does not get linked with jobs.
Sunderland sacked manager Lee Johnson on Sunday in the wake of the 6-0 defeat at Bolton, even though they are third in League One.