Blackburn Rovers manager news: Plymouth Argyle’s Tom Cleverley & ex-Rangers boss in the frame | OneFootball

The shortlist for Blackburn's manager search is narrowing down...

Blackburn Rovers were thrown into a new tumultuous period earlier this week by interim manager Michael O'Neill, who decided to snub the offer of a permanent deal at Ewood Park.

Having guided Rovers to safety in the Championship in 2025-26, picking up 20 points out of a possible 45, O'Neill looked set to leae the Northern Ireland national team job behind and sign on in Lancashire on a full-time basis.

However, a last-minute improved offer to remain with the Green And White Army ultimately won out, and the 56-year-old has now left Blackburn without a manager unexpectedly heading into the summer period.

Two managers come to the forefront of Blackburn Rovers manager search

It will now be up to the head of football, ex-Rovers striker Rudy Gestede, and his team to find O'Neill's successor, and as per a report from Alan Nixon, Blackburn's shortlist for the vacancy is starting to be narrowed down to those that already possess Championship experience, with two names emerging as the strongest contenders.

One of those is Russell Martin, who is no stranger to the second tier of English football, having won the 2024 play-off final with Southampton, only to lose his job later on in the year after struggling in the Premier League with the Saints.

Martin has since been with Scottish giants Rangers, but his time at Ibrox ended in abject fashion after just 123 days in charge, and has been out of work since and looking for his next opportunity - Nixon says that he would be interested in speaking to the former Premier League champions of 1995 regarding their vacancy.

The other name that has shot to the front of Rovers' thoughts is Tom Cleverley, who is currently employed as head coach of League One side Plymouth Argyle.

Ex-Man United midfielder Cleverley turned around Argyle's season, having previously looked like relegation contenders in the third tier in the first few months of the campaign, but the Devon outfit narrowly missed out on the play-off spots thanks to a resurgence in results.

Nixon's report claims that Cleverley could be tempted by a move back up north, with the 36-year-old based in nearby Cheshire, but the obvious stumbling block of paying compensation will come into the equation should he become the preferred candidate.

Another name in Slaven Bilic was also name-dropped by Nixon, but after giving mixed messages to the hierarchy earlier this year after Valerien Ismael was sacked, it's not certain as to whether the Croatian would be interested in the job.

Russell Martin or Tom Cleverley appointment would be real surprises for Blackburn Rovers

The manager search at Ewood Park is by no means over yet, but the two names that have jumped to the front of the pack, if the report is to be believed, may seem surprise candidates.

In the case of Russell Martin, he is a coach who has his strict methodologies of playing out from the back and a possession-based style of football - something which you'd argue would not suit the current crop of players at Blackburn, who may fit a more counter attack-style system better.

And in the case of Tom Cleverley, he is currently contracted to a club which will mean compensation will have to be paid, and given recent history, it's hard to see Blackburn doing that without a complete change of tact.

The Venky's may have a surprise up their sleeves when it comes to an ambitious appointment like Martin or Cleverley, but it would also be no surprise if their sights were lessened as the search continues.