Tony Mowbray looks certain to be confirmed as Sunderland manager after Alex Neil’s shock departure.

And he could be in charge for a return to the Riverside when Sunderland travel to Middlesbrough for next Monday night’s Tees-Wear derby - the first meeting between the North East clubs for four years.

The former Middlesbrough and Blackburn boss is believed to be Sunderland’s first choice for the Stadium of Light hot seat after Neil quit to take over at Championship rivals Stoke City.

Neil was at Ewood Park on Saturday to see his new team, just 24 hours after walking out on Sunderland - and a week after his Sunderland side won there.

Sunderland have insisted the recruitment has only just started - with Neil still yet to be confirmed as the new boss by Stoke.

But during half-time in the Soccer Saturday programme on SkySports, presenter Jeff Stelling - a close friend of Mowbray’s - reported the 58-year-old had been offered the job.

Saltburn-born Mowbray left Blackburn at the end of last season after his contract expired and he was replaced by former Newcastle striker John Dahl Tomasson.

He also managed at Middlesbrough for three years before his sacking in 2013 and had managerial spells with Ipswich, His, West Brom, Celtic and Coventry.

But it is as captain of Bruce Rioch’s Middlesbrough, when the club was fighting for survival, that he is most vividly remembered by North East football fans.

Meanwhile Sunderland last night insisted they offered Neil an improved contract to keep him at the Stadium of Light.

The Mackems’ sporting director Kristjaan Speakman insisted the Wearside club did everything to prevent former Norwich and Preston boss Alex Neil joining Championship rivals Stoke City.

The Scot stunned Sunderland board and supporters on Friday when he asked to speak to Stoke, just months after signing a new improved deal and a new rolling contract, following Michael O’Neill’s departure.

Speakman has been singled out for criticism from furious Sunderland supporters, who also turned on Neil with abusive chants throughout their home defeat to Norwich City.

And the man who will now help owner Kyril Louis-Dreyfus find a new manager said the club had offered Neil a new deal to stay out of Stoke’s clutches.

Speakman said: "We had a really, really well structured contract from when he (Neil) moved into Championship with the appropriate uplifts, etc and we had a discussion in the summer because we wanted to reward him and almost provide a well done.

"That contract was drawn up and discussed and only signed a four weeks ago.

“Obviously, on yesterday’s news, naturally for us we wanted to retain that coach and retain that person within our football club.

"We made a further move to offer another set of terms and just unfortunately it doesn't appear that is going to be enough for him to stay.

’There are some ongoing conversations and obviously my focus has been on the (Norwich) game and I am sure the club will be updating supporters and the general public in due course as that information changes.

"I understand the scrutiny that comes from supporters and quite rightly they want to understand the context of it. It would be remiss of me to start delving into that when the process is still on-going in terms of getting to a conclusion.

"What we would rather do is stay silent on the rolling contract at the present and then be transparent with the supporters after this has obviously all settled down.

"We will be able to be really really clear about our approach at the present and then be really really clear about how our processes work and what the process was."