FORMER Rangers boss Alex McLeish would love a crack at the Sunderland job – where he would team up with an old colleague again.

McLeish thinks favourite for the job Derek McInnes would find it difficult to turn down if he was offered the Black Cats post.

But McLeish, who has not worked since leaving Egyptian side Zamalek in May last year after just 65 days in charge, wouldn’t mind a crack at the role himself.

The 58-year-old knows Sunderland’s chief executive Martin Bain well. The pair were together at Rangers during the former’s five years in charge at Ibrox.

Bain was close to taking McLeish to Israeli side Hapoel Tel Aviv two years ago, and his name has cropped up for consideration again at the Stadium of Light.

McLeish said: "I would go to Sunderland in a shot if I was offered the job. Derek has done a great job at Aberdeen but the opportunity to take one of the big jobs in England doesn’t come along too often. And Sunderland is a big job.”

McLeish had successful spells with Motherwell, Hibernian and Rangers and, after a spell with Scotland, he then went on to lead Birmingham City to promotion from the Championship at the first attempt.

He spent time at Aston Villa, Nottingham Forest and Genk before heading to Zamalek in February last year and has been waiting for the right offer to return to management since.

Appointing a free agent would certainly suit Sunderland after the fall from the Premier League, with owner Ellis Short asking Bain to reduce costs to ease the debts that were last recorded at in excess of £100m.

McLeish is still perceived to be a long shot for the post, while McInnes is well fancied and comes recommended by another former Rangers manager, Walter Smith.

The Aberdeen boss still has two years to run on his contract, though, and that would mean having to pay compensation to the Pittodrie club.

Sunderland would prefer not to do that, which is why Ryan Giggs has also been considered.

Bain would prefer to bring in a manager with plenty of Championship experience, with Nigel Clough, Simon Grayson, Paul Heckingbottom and Paul Lambert all in the thinking.

Of those candidates, however, only Lambert is free after leaving Wolves. Aitor Karanka, the former Middlesbrough manager, has dropped out of the running, but could return if he misses out on the Leeds job to Claudio Ranieri.

Bain has stepped up his search in the last 48 hours and hopes to have made more progress before the end of the weekend.