Alan Shearer emerges as shock contender to take over at Cardiff

ewcastle legend Alan Shearer has emerged as a surprise front-runner to take the vacant manager's post at Cardiff.

Odds have dramatically shortened at a number of bookmakers who make the former England striker second favourite to take over at the Welsh side.

The Bluebirds have been without a manager since sacking Dave Jones last month, following a failure to win promotion to the Premier League.

Speaking only in May, Shearer stated of his desire to get back into management and that he wouldn't rule out managing at a lower level than the Premier League.

The 40-year-old said: 'I loved the eight weeks I had at Newcastle. I loved the problems and challenges it brought every day, but I'm also not too daft to see that the longer you're out of the game the harder it is to get back in.

'If the right one was to come along then, yeah, I would look at it. I'm not desperate to go in at a club that's got nothing and where I'm peeing against the wind. I'm not naive enough to say I'm not going in unless I can be a Premier League manager, I'm not that stupid. Somewhere along the line you've got to do your apprenticeship. But I'd want half a chance of being successful at it.'

Shearer, who currently acts as a regular Match Of The Day pundit, has only held one previous managerial position - a caretaker spell with Newcastle at the end of the 2008/09 season.

He left after the final game of the campaign following an eight-match tenure that ended in relegation from the Premier League for the Magpies.

Current Watford boss Malky Mackay remains hot favourite to take over at Cardiff while Mark Robins, Chris Hughton and Billy Davies are also in the hunt.