Gary Rowett set to join Derby County as Norwich City’s manager hunt continues

Have City missed an opportunity with Gary Rowett? Picture: PA (Image: PA Wire)

Forty-eight hours after City axed Alex Neil, Steve McClaren was given his cards by the Rams.

Immediately the rumour mill linked Derby with a move for Gary Rowett – and it looks almost certain that City will now miss out on someone who many supporters wanted to see in the Carrow Road hotseat.

Both the BBC and Sky Sports are claiming the former Birmingham City and Burton Albion boss will be unveiled at Pride Park on Tuesday morning.

The 43-year-old Rowett has strong links with Derby – he played for them between 1995 and 1998 before joining the Blues.

That has helped make him an odds-on bet with the bookies to move to Derby.

Rowett's stock has certainly risen since his St Andrew's tenure came to a controversial end – the Blues were seventh in the table at the time. And while he was seen to have been key to revitalising the club, it's fair to say that was the limit of his managerial achievements.

Rowett twice got Burton Albion to the League One play-offs, but ended up losing on both occasions.

The bookies had been offering around 8-1 for Rowett to be the next Norwich manager – but yesterday those odds had drifted out to 25-1.

Alan Pardew remained the favourite with many, followed by ex-England boss Roy Hodgson – a friend of owners Delia Smith and Michael Wynn Jones – and former Glasgow Rangers manager Mark Warburton while SkyBet were offering 11-1 for former player and coach Gary Holt to return.

Pardew's odds are perhaps a touch flattering as it is understood he is not in the frame.

But much may depend on what the club reveals this week about changes in the club's structure.

If, for example, they decide not to appoint a new chief executive and go with a director of football role, that will change the complexion of the managerial post.