Shearer holds talks with Cardiff

Alan Shearer is favourite to take over as manager at Cardiff City Stadium

Former England captain Alan Shearer is in talks with Cardiff over succeeding Dave Jones as boss of the Championship club, BBC Sport Wales understands.

The ex-Magpies manager, 40, is the latest name to be linked with the club.

Another former Newcastle boss, Chris Hughton, was also believed to have been on Cardiff's shortlist along with Watford boss Malky Mackay.

Ex-West Bromwich Albion manager Roberto Di Matteo and Scot Derek McInnes have also been linked to the role.

• Played for Southampton, Blackburn and Newcastle


• Leading Premier League scorer with 260 goals


• Made 63 England appearances, scoring 30 goals


• Managed Newcastle for eight games in 2009, failing to prevent relegation from Premier League

However, the odds on Shearer returning to management in the Welsh capital, having had a stint as boss of the club with which he is synonymous, have shortened to make him favourite for the role.

Shearer, a BBC Match of the Day pundit, had eight games in charge of Newcastle at the end of the 2008-09 season but could not prevent them from slipping to relegation from the Premier League.

"I don't think the Cardiff fans mind him being English," said BBC Wales' James Pontin.

"What they wanted was perhaps a big name and they'll be happy that the likes of Shearer are being linked to club. They crave success and promotion to the Premier League. However, Shearer's record isn't great. He managed eight games and has a win ratio of 12%."

Bluebirds chairman Dato Chan Tien Ghee has arrived from Malaysia to help complete an appointment with chief executive Gethin Jenkins and director Alan Whiteley, who have been leading the search for a new manager.

Cardiff, the defeated Championship play-off finalists in 2010, ended former boss Jones's six-year tenure on 30 May.

Despite Jones guiding the club to the play-offs he failed to achieve Premier League promotion as they lost to Reading in the semi-finals in the 2010/11 season.

Last week Watford released a statement stating that "no official approach for the services" for Mackay had been received.

Mackay replaced current Swansea City boss Brendan Rodgers in the Vicarage Road hotseat in June 2009 when Rodgers left for Reading.