Derby County will reportedly turn to a familiar face in their search for a new manager.
The Rams axed Paul Warne on Friday after 869 days in charge.
Derby made the decision just 24 hours before their next Championship fixture away to Norwich.
First team coach Matt Hamshaw will lead Derby until they find Warne’s replacement.
According to The Telegraph, it appears the Rams already have identified who they want as the next man in charge.
The report claims Blackburn Rovers boss John Eustace is in Derby’s crosshairs.
No contact made between the clubs but Blackburn are said to be expecting an approach.
Should Blackburn give Derby the green light to speak with Eustace, it is expected the Rams will have to fork out compensation to bring him to Pride Park.
It would mark Eustace’s second spell at Derby having made 62 appearances for the club as a player.
He initially moved to Derby in the 2008/09 Championship season on loan from Watford before eventually joining the Rams on a permanent basis in 2013.
However, his time at Derby and playing career was curtailed when he suffered a serious knee injury in January 2015.
He was released by the club at the end of the season and despite being linked with a move to Scottish giants Rangers, Eustace elected to hang up the boots.
Eustace was soon thrust into managerial life when he took over as Kidderminster Harriers boss in June 2016.
The 45-year-old took on a handful of assistant manager roles before returning to a head coaching gig when he was appointed Birmingham City boss in July 2022.
Under Eustace, the Blues finished with 53 points in the 22/23 Championship season, their highest tally since 2017.
However, Eustace was controversially sacked by the Blues in October 2023 despite having the club sitting in sixth as Birmingham swiftly replaced him with Wayne Rooney.
It turned out to be a disastrous decision as Rooney was later sacked after just two wins from 15 games, with the club eventually relegated down to League One.
As for Eustace, he returned to management last February with Blackburn.
He kept the Lancashire outfit safe from relegation and has the club firmly in contention for the play-offs this term as the club sits sixth on 45 points.
It is a feat made all the more impressive given he lost Sammie Szmodics, who bagged 27 goals for Blackburn last season, in the summer to Ipswich Town.
As for Derby, they lie 22nd in the table, 16 places below Blackburn, and are two points from safety.
The Rams are also on a seven-game losing streak, scoring just three goals in that run.