Scott Brown last night emerged as the frontrunner to be the next manager of St Johnstone.
Saints sacked Craig Levein last week and have also looked at Larne boss Tiernan Lynch and Aberdeen coach Peter Leven.
Brown is the bookmakers’ joint favourite with former Raith Rovers boss Ian Murray, and the Perth side now want permission to speak to the Ayr United manager.
And, if discussions progress quickly, the Celtic legend could even be in the technical area when his former club visit McDiarmid Park this weekend.
Currently top of the Championship with Ayr, 39-year-old Brown only arrived at Somerset Park in January but is keen to secure the green light to discuss a move to the Premiership.
Larne manager Lynch, 44, has also been listed as a candidate after the Northern Irishman won back-to-back league titles in his homeland and led the unfashionable side from County Antrim to the group stage of this season’s Europa Conference League.
Leven has also been quoted after he impressed during two spells as interim boss at Pittodrie. The 40-year-old is currently an assistant coach to Jimmy Thelin.
Falkirk boss John McGlynn and ex-Saints manager Tommy Wright have also been linked with the post.
Levein, 59, was axed just five matches into the new Premiership campaign with the team sitting 10th. The former Scotland boss took the post in November last year and staved off the threat of relegation but couldn’t kick on this term.
Coaches Andy Kirk and Alex Cleland took charge of the side for the 3-3 draw at Ross County last weekend.
Saints’ owner Adam Webb last week revealed that he is to step away from the chairmanship of the club as he battles cancer.
The American lawyer, who bought the Perth outfit from long-term owner Geoff Brown in the summer, said in an open letter on the club’s website that he has started chemotherapy and radiation after being diagnosed with the disease in his head and neck cancer.
Stressing that he’d been given a ‘very good’ prognosis, Webb has pledged will help to identify Levein’s successor then, on doctor’s orders, hand responsibilities over to new chief executive Fran Smith, who will serve as acting chairman.
