Sunderland legend and former Black Cats boss among favourites to take over at League One club

Sunderland legend Kevin Phillips is among the frontrunners to take charge at Charlton Athletic after the League One club parted company with former manager Darren Holden over the weekend.

The former Black Cats striker has been out of work since the end of last season when he departed South Shields after leading the Mariners to a long-awaited promotion into the National League North. Phillips was immediately linked with possible roles at Burton Albion, Solihull Moors and Walsall but is yet to make a return to the dugout.

Speaking after his departure from the 1st Cloud Arena was confirmed, Phillips said: “There are lots of different factors behind this mutual decision, but I’d like to place on record my thanks to everyone connected to the club and I wish whoever comes in next all the success in the world. I was brought here to do a job and I did it, and although I’d have loved to have taken it further, circumstances have changed and I’ll be supporting the club in the next phase of its journey from afar.”

The former England international is not the only figure with Sunderland connections to be linked with the vacancy at Charlton. Former Black Cats manager Lee Johnson is 5/1 joint favourite to take charge of the Addicks after he left his previous role with Scottish Premiership club Hibernian on Sunday afternoon following a winless start to the league season in Edinburgh.

Steve Cotterill, an assistant manager to Howard Wilkinson during his ill-fated reign at the Stadium of Light, is rated at 8/1 to take charge at Charlton and Black Cats favourite Lee Cattermole is an outsider at 33/1 to succeed Holden. Other notable names among the frontrunners include Danny Cowley, who was linked with a role at Sunderland prior to Johnson’s appointment and former Newcastle United midfielder Lee Bowyer.