Exclusive: Norwich City make Gary O'Neil approach after Liam Manning sack | OneFootball

The Canaries have made contact with the ex-Wolves boss to gauge his interest in taking over at Carrow Road, FLW understands.

Norwich City have approached Gary O'Neil to gauge his interest in replacing Liam Manning as Canaries manager, Football League World has exclusively been informed.

It's been a start to the 2025/26 Championship season that nobody saw coming at Carrow Road.

After 15 games, Norwich City sit 23rd in the division, with just two wins and nine points to their name.

Leicester City were the side to hand them their 10th defeat of the season so far on Saturday, and that was one too many for Liam Manning, as he was relieved of his duties not long after the full-time whistle blew.

Norwich City make contact with Gary O'Neil as Liam Manning succession plan lined up

Football League World has exclusively been informed that Norwich City have approached Gary O'Neil to sound out his interest in becoming the Canaries' new manager.

The 42-year-old appeared set to rejoin Wolves as their new boss following the recent departure of Vitor Pereira, and was reported to have been in talks over a return to Molineux.

However, he has since withdrawn himself from the running, admitting on Sky Sports punditry duty for Wolves' clash with Chelsea on Saturday evening that "it didn't feel like the right time or right fit."

But, he could well feel different about Norwich City, and it's a club that he knows very well.

Indeed, O'Neil played over 50 times for the Canaries between 2014-2016, and played a part in helping the club win promotion to the Premier League in the 2014/15 season, which culminated in a Norwich win at Wembley Stadium in the Championship play-off final vs Middlesbrough.

Gary O'Neil could be a major coup for Norwich City

At 42, O'Neil is still very much in the infancy of his coaching career, and despite that, he's already established himself as a highly-promising manager.

Handed his first full-time managerial role by Bournemouth in the summer of 2022, O'Neil and his Cherries side accomplished what many newly promoted sides from the Championship fail to do in their first season in the Premier League: survive.

A 15th-placed finish in the 2022/23 season provided the platform for the club to begin their rapid ascension through English football's top flight, with the club going on to finish 12th and ninth in the next two seasons.

Following that 22/23 campaign, O'Neil was appointed as Wolves boss, and was able to guide the club to a respectable 14th-placed finish, and 20 points clear of Luton Town who finished the season in 18th on 26 points.

Given the predicament Wolves find themselves in currently, that placing has aged well, and so despite being axed by the club in December of last year with the team sitting in the relegation zone, he left with his reputation as one of the brightest young English coaches around firmly in tact.

So, given the fact he's only ever managed at Premier League level so far in his coaching career, getting him to drop not only into the Championship, but to the foot of it as it stands for Norwich, would surely have to be seen as a major coup for the Canaries.