Blackburn Rovers manager search: Ex-West Brom, Watford boss eyed for Ewood Park move | OneFootball

Slaven Bilic rejected the chance to take over at Blackburn Rovers earlier this year, but he is now set for fresh talks with the Lancashire outfit.

Blackburn Rovers are continuing their search for a new manager following the shock departure of Michael O'Neill.

O'Neill took over at Blackburn in February following the sacking of Valerien Ismael, with the 56-year-old signing a short-term contract that saw him combine his duties at Ewood Park with his role as Northern Ireland manager.

Rovers were in the relegation zone when O'Neill arrived, but he successfully guided the club to Championship safety after winning five and drawing five of his 15 games in charge, and he was subsequently offered a three-year contract as the Lancashire outfit looked to tie him down on a permanent basis.

After O'Neill held talks with Blackburn over possible additions to his coaching staff, it seemed that he was set to commit his future to the club, but in a surprise turn of events, it was announced on Tuesday that he had rejected the opportunity to stay on in order to focus solely on his Northern Ireland commitments.

As Rovers begin the hunt for O'Neill's replacement, ex-Southampton and Rangers manager Russell Martin and Plymouth Argyle head coach Tom Cleverley are both said to be under consideration, with the former believed to be keen to speak to the club over the vacancy.

However, it appears that Martin and Cleverley are not the only names in the frame, and Blackburn are reportedly set to enter discussions with former West Bromwich Albion and Watford manager Slaven Bilic, who was on their radar earlier this year before the appointment of O'Neill.

Blackburn Rovers set to hold fresh Slaven Bilic talks after previous Ewood Park links

Bilic has been out of work since leaving Saudi Arabian side Al-Fateh in August 2024, while his previous role in English football came with Watford in the 2022-23 season, when he had a brief five-month spell at Vicarage Road, winning 10, drawing seven and losing nine of his 26 games in charge.

The 57-year-old also spent more than two years in charge of West Ham United in the Premier League, while he led West Brom to automatic promotion from the Championship in the 2019-20 season, as well as having spells in charge of Hajduk Split, the Croatian national team, Lokomotiv Moscow, Besiktas, Al-Ittihad and Beijing Guoan during an eventful managerial career.

Bilic was approached by Blackburn in February following Ismael's dismissal, but he turned down the chance to take over at Ewood Park, later explaining that while he was interested in the role, it was not the right time for him to return to management.

"I decided at this stage of the season, it wasn't the right moment to go," Bilic told Sky Sports News.

"That was my decision based on that.

"I was interested, it's always nice to be linked with clubs from England.

"If the club is right and the moment is right, why not?

"It's a great job and it was always my area, it is my second tongue.

"We will see what happens."

However, it seems Rovers are set to make a fresh attempt to land Bilic, with journalist Alan Nixon reporting that their "initial approach" will be to the Croatian, despite also having the likes of Martin and Cleverley on their radar.

Over three years after leaving Watford, Bilic is said to be keen to manage in English football again, while the fact that he has previous Championship experience is believed to tick a box for Blackburn, who will now open "direct" talks with the ex-West Ham boss.

Slaven Bilic may have reservations over potential Blackburn Rovers move

Having previously targeted him earlier this year, it is clear that Blackburn are big admirers of Bilic, but it remains to be seen whether the interest is mutual.

After Tony Mowbray, Jon Dahl Tomasson and John Eustace all experienced issues with the Rovers hierarchy in recent years, the fact that O'Neill rejected the opportunity to remain at Ewood Park suggests he shared similar concerns about whether he could take the club forward, which may act as a red flag to the club's managerial targets.

Given Bilic's strong track record at Championship level, he would be an exciting choice if Blackburn can convince him to accept the job, but he may be keen to carefully weigh up his options before making a decision on his next move.