JIM Magilton has become the firm favourite for the vacant position of Colchester United boss.

JIM Magilton has become the firm favourite for the vacant position of Colchester United boss.

Bookmakers Victor Chandler confirmed that a significant surge of bets were placed on the Northern Irishman succeeding new Coventry City boss Aidy Boothroyd at the U’s yesterday afternoon.

And after the odds of Magilton taking the League One job tumbled from 7/1 to 8/11 on, they eventually stopped taking money on him.

Magilton, 41, spent 10 years at Ipswich Town as a player and manager before getting sacked in 2009.

An ill-fated spell at Championship club Queens Park Rangers then only lasted six months and he has been out of work since last December.

Meanwhile, Colchester defender Marc Tierney has backed John Ward and Joe Dunne to form a new managerial partnership at the club.

Boothroyd brought Ward in as his assistant at the Weston Homes Community Stadium last September, while he also made a point of promoting coach Joe Dunne into what effectively became a managerial triumvirate.

With the players away on their close season breaks and not due back until June 28, Cowling has opted against naming a caretaker management team for the interim. He did, however, meet with Ward and Dunne yesterday to discuss the current situation.

It is still unclear as to whether Ward will follow Boothroyd across to Coventry, but should he stay then the 59-year-old former Bristol City, Bristol Rovers, Cheltenham and Carlisle boss could well fancy a return to the limelight.

Having played over 150 games for the U’s, Irishman Dunne, 36, is popular amongst the fans and did a commendable job as caretaker boss when guiding the team through a difficult four game spell following Paul Lambert’s departure.

“They (Ward and Dunne) are both very highly regarded,” said Tierney. “If they were to get the job then the players would be behind them 100%.

“Joe gives exactly the same as a coach as he did a player, while John has obviously been there and done it as a manager before.

“If we can keep hold of them two then I think we could very well.”

Other names in frame include the out-of-work trio of Brendan Rodgers, George Burley and Paul Ince.

Torquay manager Paul Buckle and Charlton coach Mark Kinsella, both of whom played for Colchester, have also been linked.