Former Carlisle United boss Keith Curle is among the bookies' frontrunners for a return to management in League Two.

Curle is among the names touted for an opportunity at the foot of League Two with Sutton United.

The ex-Blues manager is 10/1 joint fourth favourite with BetVictor after the Gander Green Lane club sacked long-serving Matt Gray this week.

Curle, United's manager from 2014 to 2018, has been out of work since leaving Hartlepool United in February.

The 60-year-old trails 5/1 favourite Mark Bonner in the Sutton betting, the former Cambridge United boss having shorter odds than other bookies' contenders Steve Cotterill (6/1) and caretaker Jason Goodliffe (8/1), with Steve Morison and Luke Garrard joining Curle at 10/1.

Nathan Rooney, the former Carlisle coach who is currently in charge of Gibraltarian side FC Bruno's Magpies, is a 20/1 shot.

Gray was dismissed this week after a four-and-a-half year reign during which he led the south London club to the EFL for the first time.

He leaves them, though, bottom of League Two after 21 games, and six points adrift of the safety line, having been thrashed 8-0 at Stockport County in their last outing.

Sutton's squad includes Omari Patrick, the former United attacker, who has made 24 appearances and scored six goals so far this season, although he has often been a substitute in recent weeks.

Gray's departure, meanwhile, and the subsequent move of Plymouth Argyle boss and ex-Carlisle player Steven Schumacher to Stoke City, means Paul Simpson is now the 18th longest-serving manager in the top four English leagues.

And the United boss is the EFL's 11th longest-serving boss, as well as the third longest-serving manager in League One behind Bolton Wanderers' Ian Evatt and Northampton Town's Jon Brady.

Simpson has been at the Brunton Park helm since February 23, 2022.