Former Premier League boss could make Championship return at Hull City

Slavisa Jokanovic is one of the managers being considered by Hull City as a permanent replacement for Tim Walter, who was sacked on Wednesday afternoon.

The 56-year-old Serbian has two promotions from the Championship on his CV, having guided Watford and Fulham into the Premier League in 2015 and 2018, respectively, but has been out of work for more than a year after leaving Dynamo Moscow in May 2023.

His last role in English football came when he was appointed by Sheffield United following their relegation from the Premier League in May 2021, but he was unable to convert Chris Wilder's squad into his more possession-based style and was sacked after winning just six of the first 19 Championship games. He was then replaced by Paul Heckingbottom, who guided United to the play-off semi-final in that season, where they were eventually beaten by Steve Cooper's Nottingham Forest.

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Jokanovic is a manager City have previously considered while it's understood the former Chelsea player is keen on taking over at City, who sit in the bottom three of the Championship after winning three of their first 17 games.

The ex-Blades chief is not the only manager under consideration by owner Acun IIicali, but it's believed Jokanovic's track record of winning promotion from the Championship is an attractive proposition, albeit the last coming six years ago, with the Turkish businessman keen to appoint a manager with experience of English football's second tier, something the Serb certainly has in abundance, and one that suits the group of players at City.

His management career began in 2007 when he guided Serbian giants Partizan to successive league and cup doubles, followed by the 2012 Thai league with Muangthong United, before taking in spells in Bulgaria and Spain with Hercules, prior to his big break in England with Watford, guiding the Hornets to promotion from the Championship, narrowly missing out on the league title.

A spell in Israel with Maccabi Tel Aviv followed, helping the club qualify for the Champions League for the first time in 11 years, eventually losing to Swiss outfit Basel. He spent six months in Tel Aviv before heading back to England, where he arrived at Craven Cottage. Promotion from the Championship was secured by beating Aston Villa in the 2018 play-off final at Wembley but was eventually replaced in November by Claudio Ranieri after a seven-game winless run.

It's hoped an appointment will be made before City host Blackburn Rovers at the MKM Stadium next Saturday, with Andy Dawson taking caretaker charge of the Tigers at Middlesbrough this weekend, supported by Under-21 management duo Conor Sellars and Billy Clarke.