Next Sunderland manager: Kim Hellberg, Julien Sable and Will Still - what's been said as Cats’ search goes on

Sunderland are still searching for a new head coach after sacking Tony Mowbray - while several names have been linked with the vacancy.

As things stand, an interim coaching team, led by Mike Dodds, will take charge of Saturday’s fixture against West Brom while the club’s recruitment process is ongoing.

Here are some of the early favourites to take charge at the Stadium of Light and what’s been said:

Will Still

As French football expert Jonathan Johnson told the Echo, appointing Still would be a coup for the Black Cats. He may have only taken permanent charge in October last year, yet the 31-year-old guided French side Reims to a fourth-place finish, with the club sitting fifth this term.

Born in Belgium to English parents, Still has spoken about growing up as a West Ham fan and his aspirations to manage in England: "I think if you asked any kid what they would like to do, they'd say they'd love to be a Premier League footballer or manager and I'm no different,” Still told Sky Sports in March.

The 31-year-old has also said he’d be open to managing in the Championship: "Vincent Kompany was at Anderlecht last year and has gone into the Championship and has done an unbelievable job,” Still added. “I think the Championship rivals many of the top leagues in the world.”

Kim Hellberg

Reports in Sweden have claimed Sunderland were set to hold talks with Hellberg on Thursday. The 35-year-old has managed Allsvenskan side IFK Varnamo since the start of 2022 and guided them to a fifth-place finish this year, yet his contract is set to expire.

Hellburg was being lined up for the vacant job at another Swedish club, Hammarby, who are searching for a new head coach following Marti Cifuentes’ move to QPR in October.

Under Hellburg, Varnamo’s formation has been very fluid, with the side often operating with a front five in possession. “We try to get into the box as much as possible with control,” said assistant coach David Selini on the Nordic Football Podcast.

Speaking to Hancock Analysis, Hellburg was asked: Who are your biggest coaching influences, to which he replied: “In pure football terms, I try to take inspiration from all corners, but over the last few years it’s mostly been from Guardiola and De Zerbi.”

Julien Sable

Sable, 43, is the bookmakers favourite for the Sunderland job but has limited experience as a first-team coach. After working as an assistant coach at St Etienne, the Frenchman joined Nice in December 2022, initially managing their B team, before becoming first-team assistant. Sable is now working under Italian coach Francesco Farioli, who was linked with the Sunderland job earlier this year.

When asked about Sable following the coach’s arrival at Nice, the club’s sporting director Florent Ghisolfi said: "Julien is well versed in both the professional and grassroots levels of football. That will enable him to hit the ground running and have a positive impact in this crucial area, which is the link between the first team and the academy."