Jorge Costa applies for Kilmarnock job & club want Steve Clarke talks

Costa was sacked by Gabon shortly before they hosted this year's Africa Cup of Nations

Former Portugal international Jorge Costa is among over 50 applicants for the Kilmarnock manager's post, while the club are keen to talk with Steve Clarke, BBC Scotland has learned.

The Rugby Park club are seeking a replacement for Lee McCulloch after a poor start to the season.

Costa, 45, was Porto's Champions League-winning captain in 2004.

Clarke, 54, has managed West Brom and Reading, having been an assistant at Chelsea, Liverpool and Newcastle.

The former St Mirren and Chelsea defender, capped by Scotland on six occasions, was most recently assistant to Roberto Di Matteo at Aston Villa but was not retained when Steve Bruce took over in October 2016.

A source at Kilmarnock told BBC Scotland that Clarke has "the right kind of experience", adding that Costa, who played 50 times for his country, is one of the applicants the Ayrshire outfit are "excited by".

Costa has managerial experience with clubs in his homeland, Romania, Cyprus and Tunisia and was national coach of Gabon.

Kilmarnock, who are bottom of the Scottish Premiership with three points from eight matches, are next in action away to Partick Thistle on 14 October.

Thistle are level on points with Killie but it seems unlikely the visitors will have a new manager in place before the game at Firhill.

Clarke was sacked as Reading boss in December 2015, his last manager's post