New Leeds United coach expected as Premier League stalwart becomes frontrunner for role

Former Crystal Palace manager Patrick Vieira is leading the race to replace Sam Allardyce as the next Leeds United manager next season according to a report in the Yorkshire Evening Post.

Vieira enjoyed a good first season with Crystal Palace before hitting the wall in his second season where he went 12 games without a win before owner Steve Parish decided to pull the plugs on his time in south London.

His replacement Roy Hodgson, surprisingly the same man Vieiera took over from then stepped in to rescue the team and kept their Premier League status safe for another season.

The former Arsenal captain has since been seen on Sky Sports doing punditry but that has not stopped him from consistently being linked with a return to management. Last month there had been reports that he head back to France to manage Nantes who survived relegation by the skin of their teeth.

But this is the Leeds United job that looks more promising for Vieira who is still widely seen as a brilliant manager. Sky Sports News claim the ex-New York City FC manager is on Leeds’ shortlist which also includes Daniel Farke and Carlos Corberan, although the YEP understands no official approach has yet been made for the latter.

The Yorkshire-based club are expected to conduct a face-to-face interview this week before settling on who will be the next manager for their Championship campaign.

Palace themselves are still without a substantive head coach after Roy Hodgson’s interim contract expired at the end of last season even though he is likely to be given another year, affording the club the time and space to get a good long-term .