John Eustace: Queens Park Rangers assistant boss a contender for Swansea City job
- Published
John Eustace helped Queens Park Rangers avoid relegation from the Championship in 2019 after taking charge of the last seven games of the season
Queens Park Rangers assistant manager John Eustace is a leading contender to be the next Swansea City boss.
Eustace, 41, was on the final shortlist when Swansea made Steve Cooper their head coach in June 2019.
The Championship club are thought to be considering Eustace as Cooper's successor.
Swansea are hoping to make a swift appointment after announcing the departure of former England Under-17 boss Cooper on Wednesday.
Chief executive Julian Winter revealed that the decision for Cooper to go was "reached amicably two weeks ago", with Swansea's outgoing boss staying on to give the club time to search for his replacement.
Lincoln's Michael Appleton also has admirers at Swansea, although he is currently spending time away from the League One club having revealed earlier this month he has testicular cancer.
Like Eustace, Appleton was among those who came close to the Swans job two years ago before Cooper was appointed.
Swansea's first-team coach Alan Tate has made no secret of his desire to move into management, while the club's former under-23 coach Cameron Toshack is also likely to be among a host of names interested in the vacancy.
Swansea are thought to have considered at least one overseas manager, but Eustace has emerged as the early favourite to take charge at the Liberty Stadium.
Born in Solihull, Eustace began his career at Coventry City and went on to play for Stoke City, Watford and Derby County, while he also had loan spells at Dundee United, Middlesbrough and Hereford.
Having retired due to a serious knee injury, Eustace began his managerial career Kidderminster Harriers in 2016.
He spent two years in charge at the National League North side before joining QPR as assistant to Steve McClaren, who he had played under at Derby.
Eustace had a spell as caretaker QPR boss at the end of the 2018-19 season - when he masterminded a 4-0 win over Swansea as he helped the London club avoid relegation to League One - before reverting to his number two role following Mark Warburton's arrival at Loftus Road.
Rangers finished ninth in the Championship last season, 12 points and five places behind a Swansea side who were beaten in the play-off final by Brentford.
Swansea legend Alan Curtis wants "the best available" manager to take over.
He told BBC Radio Wales: "You talk of [Frank] Lampard and [Eddie} Howe and I just can't see those people coming to the club.
"I think we're going to have to go with another young manager. I think he's got to have the ability to work with younger players.
"Certainly there's a style of play which we'd like to think that we play. I don't say we lost that under Steve absolutely, but we just need somebody who knows the [financial] restrictions really.
"We haven't got a potful of money so he's going to have to work with what we've got, develop young players and then I'm sure he'll be given every opportunity to be a success."
Curtis believes the majority of Swansea fans will accept that reaching the Premier League is not the main priority at this stage.
"It may be a little while before we can achieve that ambition, but the main thing is we get back playing and get a philosophy back to the club and I think most supporters will settle for that," he said.
