Grant McCann emerges as a contender for the Sunderland job

Sunderland have interviewed former Hull boss Grant McCann as their search for a new manager continues.

Sportsmail revealed yesterday that Roy Keane tops the list of many within the club and will be spoken to about returning to the Stadium of Light, 13 years after he quit as boss.

However, an appointment is unlikely to be confirmed before tomorrow's visit of Doncaster.

Other names in the frame include former Preston boss Alex Neil to make up the three front-runners. 

McCann led Hull to promotion from League One in 2021, but left the Tigers following the takeover of the club by Turkish businessman Acun Ilıcalı.

Keane, 50, who took the Black Cats to the 2007 Championship title, has not managed since being sacked by Ipswich in 2011. 

Neil last managed Preston North End where he enjoyed a successful stint between 2017-2021. 

The 6-0 defeat to Bolton forced the board at the Stadium of Light into a decision regarding Lee Johnson's future and he was relieved of his duties.

The Black Cats Sporting Director Kristjaan Speakman the SAFC Unfiltered podcast: 'We had a really clear criteria on the type of coach we want to work for the club, what the requirements are of that individual, what we are judging them against because you need to have clarity with that member of staff. 

'Naturally we are running a succession plan for that position so we have been tracking coaches for over the last year.

'That's not because of anything under hand, any top business would be looking at who is their next Chief Executive, next head of sales, who is going to come through.

'We have internal members of staff and obviously there is a big jump into moving onto who is going to be a head coach for a club the size of Sunderland.

'We are also looking at who