I played over 200 games for Leicester – they aren't big enough for Ruud van Nistelrooy

Former Leicester City striker Alan Smith doesn't believe Ruud van Nistelrooy would be "a good match" for the Foxes as they look set to replace former manager Steve Cooper with the Dutchman.

Leicester's search for a new manager has intensified in the last 24 hours following Cooper's sacking on Sunday. It now appears that Van Nistelrooy will be appointed as City's new boss at the King Power Stadium – however, Smith isn't sure he has the right profile for the club.

Names such as Graham Potter, David Moyes and West Brom's Carlos Corberan had all been tipped for the job. But the former PSV Eindhoven coach's interim stint at Manchester United, where he beat Leicester twice in his four games in charge, looks to have put him in good stead with City's hierarchy.

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Smith has told Mega Dice that Van Nistelrooy's history as a world-class forward, and his success with PSV in a managerial capacity, doesn't mean he is the right choice. The 62-year-old believes the Premier League winner would be distracted by ambition to land a "bigger" job once he takes on the Leicester role.

"I don’t see Ruud van Nistelrooy and Leicester as a good match," Smith said. "I feel as though his mind would be elsewhere on the bigger jobs available if he were to do well. He used to be a big-time player, and you carry that attitude through as a coach.

“I don’t think it’ll be too long until he gets a Premier League job. He got good experience at PSV Eindhoven winning a few domestic cups, he has been an assistant with the Netherlands national team, and he impressed whilst he was interim manager of Manchester United, I just wouldn’t say he was the right man for Leicester at this stage."

Regular Sky Sports pundit and co-commentator Smith, who scored 76 goals for Leicester before moving to Arsenal in 1987, is of the opinion that a candidate such as former West Ham manager Moyes or ex-Brighton and Chelsea boss Potter would be better suited to helping Leicester out of the trouble they currently find themselves in.

"They’re currently 16th in the league and I think someone like David Moyes could keep them ticking over at that level and keep them in the league, but I think Graham Potter could be the one to take them forward," Smith added.

"That said, you need someone who guarantees you safety in the league, it’s hard to sustain a long-term vision if you are in the Championship. I’m sure Potter is hungry to get back into the game, whether he fancies the relegation dogfight with Leicester is another factor, he didn’t have that at Chelsea or Brighton.”

Another name that had reportedly been in consideration was ex-England boss Gareth Southgate. However, he has recently made clear he wants an extended break from football after stepping down from the national team in the summer, ruling out any chance of him taking on the Leicester job.

Cooper was relieved of his duties after City suffered defeat at the hands of Chelsea. The Blues beat the Foxes 2-1 at the weekend, leading to Cooper's axing from the club after just five months in charge.