Ex-Leeds United and Sheffield United boss among favourites for job after Championship rivals sack manager

Former Leeds United manager Paul Heckingbottom is among the favourites to take charge at Plymouth Argyle, following their decision to sack Ian Foster on Monday.

Foster was relieved of his duties after losing 1-0 at home to Bristol City on Easter Monday, Plymouth’s fifth defeat in a six-game winless run. The Pilgrims have drifted towards the relegation zone and now sit just one point above Huddersfield Town in 22nd.

Director of football Neil Dewsnip has taken control of the club for the time being, with Neil Warnock briefly considered before announcing his retirement on Wednesday. A permanent option is expected to arrive in the summer and fellow former Whites boss Heckingbottom is seemingly among the favoured candidates.

Heckingbottom has been out of work since December, when he was sacked by Premier League side Sheffield United and replaced by Chris Wilder, the man he initially succeeded at Bramall Lane. The 46-year-old has been priced at 9/1 via ReadWrite (via The Yorkshire Post), with only Warnock, Alex Neil and Nigel Pearson tipped as more likely.

Heckingbottom was only in charge for four months at Leeds, despite initially signing an 18-month contract with the Whites, having been sacked in June 2018 following a disappointing end to the season which ended in a 13th-place Championship finish.

The former Sheffield United and Barnsley boss was the predecessor at Elland Road to Marcelo Bielsa, who arrived later on in the summer 0f 2018 before guiding the whites to promotion and a ninth-place finish in their first season back in the Premier League. Heckingbottom would enjoy promotion himself with the Blades last season but a run of 11 defeats in their first 14 games, including an 8-0 thrashing at home to Newcastle United, saw him sacked.

Plymouth’s decision to sack Foster came just three months after his arrival to replace Steven Schumacher, who was appointed by Stoke City. But a dismal run of results, that started with FA Cup elimination at the hands of Leeds, saw time called on an unsuccessful period at Home Park.