The odds on Paul Hurst becoming the next manager of Ipswich Town have shortened significantly – but the club have also been linked to former Aston Villa and Spurs boss Tim Sherwood.
Hurst, currently the Shrewsbury Town boss, has been the favourite for the hotseat at Portman Road since last week, but his odds have now dropped from the 2/1 he was listed at to a much shorter 4/7 with Skybet.
It’s the first time that any man has been listed as odds-on for Town’s top job and comes as Hurst prepares to lead the Shrews into the League One play-offs, having pushed big budget Blackburn and Wigan all the way in the promotion chase.
Last week, Hurst said it was a ‘compliment’ to be linked to Town and refused to commit his future to Shrewsbury.
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He told BBC Radio Shropshire “I’m not going to sit here and say it’s not nice to be linked with jobs, because it means you’re doing something right.
“All I will do is assure people that my focus is very much on trying to be successful and get this club promoted.
“It’s just a compliment to everyone here and the season that we’ve had.”
Asked whether he would still be with the Shrews next season, he added: “I can’t honestly answer that – it would be wrong for me to sit here and say that. I don’t know what’s going to happen between now and then.”
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Meanwhile, the Daily Star have reported this morning that Town are giving serious consideration to Sherwood, now listed as 11/1 joint fourth favourite by Skybet.
The long-time Premier League midfielder has managed both Spurs and Aston Villa – leading Villa to an FA Cup Final – but was sacked from both roles.
He was also named as director of football at Swindon in November 2016, but left that role when the club were relegated to League Two in 2017.
It would seem unlikely that Sherwood would be a serious candidate for the Town job, but owner Marcus Evans is exploring all avenues as he looks to appoint a new boss by early June.
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