Ex-Arsenal star set for talks over Blackburn vacancy after John Eustace exit
Blackburn Rovers are in need of a new manager after John Eustace decided to abandon their Championship play-off push in favour of a relegation battle with Derby County
Blackburn Rovers are poised to interview Luis Boa Morte as they close in on appointing a successor to John Eustace.
Eustace left Rovers to join fellow Championship side Derby County last week in a move which prompted an angry statement from the club. Several managers have been linked with Blackburn, including England under-21s head coach Lee Carsley, ex-Wolves boss Gary O'Neil and Al-Ettifaq’s Steven Gerrard.
Boa Morte is currently in charge of Guinea-Bissau, having left his previous position as a first-team coach at Fulham in March. The former Arsenal, Southampton, Fulham and West Ham midfielder spent three years working under Marco Silva with the Cottagers before taking charge of the West African nation.
However, the 47-year-old could be set to move back to England, with Rovers interested in acquiring his services. The Sun reports that Blackburn will hold talks with Boa Morte in the coming days and he would be interested in taking the job.
READ MORE: Ruben Amorim 'wants to leave' Man Utd as 'clueless' Sir Jim Ratcliffe slammedREAD MORE: Ex-Arsenal star says club misjudged him for 'wearing heels' - 'It was used against me'He isn’t the only former Premier League midfielder to be linked with the job, though, with George Boateng also in the frame. Boateng has held coaching roles at Coventry, Aston Villa and the Ghana national team, but has only been head coach at Kelantan in Malaysia.
The 49-year-old former Middlesbrough player left Coventry last year before Frank Lampard took over and may have an advantage, given he took charge of Blackburn’s under-13s side back in 2018. Blackburn are keen to hire a new manager quickly, given their Championship campaign remains on track.
Rovers currently sit fifth in the table and are hoping to secure a play-off spot come the end of the season. David Lowe has been caretaker manager since Eustace’s sudden departure and has overseen successive wins over West Brom and Plymouth in the league. The 59-year-old is likely to remain in the dugout for Saturday’s trip to face Swansea in South Wales.
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In the statement issued upon Eustace’s departure, Rovers wrote: "The club had hoped that John would see out the season and continue the fantastic work he has done, particularly after strengthening the squad in January and guiding us into a strong position in the league. However, with 14 games remaining and a real chance to push for a play-off place, the focus remains on achieving our ambitions.
"Football is always evolving, and while we part ways with John Eustace, this also presents an exciting opportunity for the new head coach to build on our current positive position. We remain in a good place in the league and the togetherness of the players, staff and supporters can all play a huge role in making it a successful end to the season.”
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