'Possibly' - Ex-Leeds United manager's stance on Wolves job as search continues for Premier League strugglers
Former Leeds United manager Sam Allardyce is among several names to have been linked with the vacant Wolves position.
Former Leeds United manager Sam Allardyce hinted he would be open to taking charge of Premier League strugglers Wolves.
Molineux chiefs decided to sack Vitor Pereira on Sunday following their 3-0 defeat at Fulham just 24 hours earlier. The Midlands club are rooted to the bottom of the Premier League table with just two wins from 10 games leaving them eight points from safety.
Wolves were reportedly in advanced talks to re-appoint Gary O’Neil, who they only sacked in December last year, but the out-of-work manager has since walked away from discussions. Other names linked with a move to Molineux include former Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag and Middlesbrough’s Rob Edwards.
Allardyce has often been the manager teams turn to when survival becomes the sole objective, albeit his appointment has not always guaranteed success as Leeds will attest to. The 71-year-old hasn’t been in management since leaving Elland Road in 2023 but recently hinted he could be open to another firefighting gig at Molineux.
"I suppose with the amount of times I've said I might retire, you can never say never with the times that I have bounced back,” Allardyce told talkSPORT when quizzed on links to the vacant position. “Possibly. Wolves was one of childhood favourite clubs when I started watching football.
"I suppose who knows, but I've heard they are looking for a younger coach anyway. I'm not so sure my time will ever come round again but you sit and wait, you never know. I am not actively searching but if it happens, it happens, if it doesn't then it doesn't."
Allardyce has kept teams up in the past but his Elland Road spell was far from successful. Leeds hired the former Bolton Wanderers and West Ham boss with four games of their 2022/23 campaign remaining but only took one point from those fixtures, finishing 19th and suffering relegation.
Who else has been linked with the Wolves manager job?
A move to Wolves doesn’t currently look likely for Allardyce, with Molineux chiefs appearing to look elsewhere - including within his Leeds coaching staff. Former Whites forward Robbie Keane, who was assistant coach at Elland Road for those final weeks of the 2022/23 campaign, is also among the names being touted.
Keane is currently head coach of Ferencvaros, his third club of a journeyed managerial career. The former striker has also taken charge of Indian outfit ATK and Maccabi Tel Aviv in Israel since retiring from playing in 2018.
Rob Edwards is currently the favourite to take over at Molineux, having guided Middlesbrough to second place in the Championship after 13 games. The 42-year-old’s previous Premier League job was at relegated Luton Town and he was sacked by the Hatters last season before they dropped into League One.
Ten Hag is another candidate higher up the list than Allardyce. The Dutchman left Manchester United in October 2024 and after taking charge of Bayer Leverkusen in the summer, lasted just three games before being sacked.