A new favourite has emerged in the race for the vacant Ipswich Town manager’s job – Wigan Athletic boss Paul Cook.

Cook has guided the Latics back to the Championship after a year in League One, with his side three points ahead of Blackburn in the race for the title after securing promotion at the weekend.

And he has now passed Danny Cowley – the Lincoln boss who has been favourite for the Town job since Mick McCarthy walked out of the club – as the bookies’ tip for the Blues’ hotseat.

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He’s 4/1 favourite with Bet Victor and 11/4 with Sky Bet. Cowley is listed as second favourite with both, at odds of 5/1 and 7/2 respectively.

Cook, 51, has been with Wigan since last year, after two years with Portsmouth. He’s also managed Chesterfield, Accrington Stanley, Sligo Rovers and Southport.

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He had a long playing career as a central midfielder too, lining up for the likes of Wolves, Burnley, Tranmere, Stockport and Wigan before retiring in 2006.

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Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard, Tony Mowbray, Jack Ross, Mark Warburton and Maurice Steijn are all towards the top of the betting for the Town job too, with all indications being that the club won’t appoint McCarthy’s successor until at least the end of the season.

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