ELLIS SHORT is seriously considering experienced continental candidates following the impact of Dick Advocaat during his short time in charge of Sunderland, with Armin Veh a genuine contender for the vacant head coach role.

The German has been put forward to sporting director Lee Congerton and discussed with Frank Arnesen, the man who recommended Advocaat to fill the breach left by Gus Poyet with nine matches remaining of the Black Cats’ Premier League season.

Advocaat’s appointment proved a masterstroke, with the players immediately taking to his style and approach around the training ground and in the dressing room and many senior members of the squad had called for him to stay.

But the Dutchman’s decision to stick to the original plan of returning to Holland to begin his retirement from club football has left Sunderland searching for a replacement and Veh figures prominently in Short’s thinking.

The 54-year-old is available having not worked since leaving Stuttgart in November. He boasts leading Stuttgart to the Bundesliga title in 2007 as his greatest achievement. After that he had less successful spells with Wolfsburg and Hamburg before leading Eintracht Frankfurt to promotion three years ago.

Sunderland are not rushing into an appointment and are determined to talk to a number of contenders, including other foreign names, as well as one or two closer to home.

Burnley boss Sean Dyche is the bookmakers’ favourite and there remains support for appointing Sam Allardyce following his exit from West Ham as well as ex-Swansea boss Michael Laudrup.

It has also been suggested Patrick Vieira, who was considered for the Newcastle post, has been mentioned within the last week after it became clear he is keen to take a step in to frontline management.

But Sunderland’s decision makers are edging towards experience in the hope it will present less of a gamble following the shortcomings of Paolo Di Canio and Gus Poyet’s time in charge.

While there is no word of significant progress on the managerial front, Sunderland are keen to have a new head coach in place as soon as they can so that talks about transfer plans and pre-season preparations can get the new man’s seal of approval.

Sunderland are in need of a number of squad additions over the course of the summer and Short accepts that, having listened to Advocaat’s advice before he decided against extending his stay on Wearside.

By the time the former PSV Eindhoven’s successor is in place it is hoped Sunderland will have sorted out the futures of Ricky Alvarez and Santiago Vergini.

The situation with Alvarez could even be set for the courts. Inter Milan remain adamant that Sunderland’s season-long loan deal for the winger included a permanent £7.5m transfer trigger if they stayed in the top-flight.

But Sunderland, who played him just five times from the start, are claiming the player’s injury problems invalidate the agreement and that it was part of the contract drawn up.

Alvarez has had a persistent knee problem since joining and is now set to have surgery in a bid to eradicate the problem, so Sunderland are clearly reluctant to pay out for a player who hardly impressed even when he did play.

But Vergini’s £2m switch from Sport Uruguay de Coronado of Costa Rica is set to go ahead after the defender made more than 20 appearances, which triggered a permanent move to the North-East.