Tony Mowbray is in line for an emotional return to West Bromwich Albion.

Mowbray held detailed talks with the Albion hierarchy on Thursday and is now the frontrunner to take over at the Championship club, 15 and a half years after leaving The Hawthorns.

West Brom have moved for Mowbray after negotiations with Raphael Wicky broke down this week, with an appointment understood to be close.

Mowbray stepped down at Birmingham City in February last year for medical treatment but has received the all-clear from medical staff and the League Managers’ Association to make his return.

His return is certain to prove a popular decision with West Brom’s supporters, after three largely successful years in charge between 2006 and 2009.

Mowbray guided West Brom to the Championship title in 2008 and an FA Cup semi-final before leaving for Celtic.

Reflecting on his bowel cancer diagnosis last November, Mowbray said: “I do want to go back to work because football is in my blood, it’s what I do.

“I still have issues, I’m still, at the moment, not 100 per cent ready for work, but somewhere down the line. My body’s telling me that I’m not ready yet.”

West Brom have been without a manager for more than three weeks since the departure of Carlos Corberán to Valencia on Christmas Eve.

Wicky, the former Young Boys and Basel manager, was expected to be appointed this week but the move collapsed at the 11th hour over issues relating to recruiting his own backroom staff.

Mowbray, 61, had also been spoken to by the West Brom hierarchy and was a serious contender, but the breakdown in negotiations with Wicky led to talks being revived.

West Brom face Stoke in the Championship this weekend, with the club currently seventh in the table and a point outside the top six.

Since Corberán’s exit last month, former midfielder Chris Brunt has been in interim charge.

Brunt was signed by Mowbray from Sheffield Wednesday during his first spell in charge and is likely to remain on the backroom staff.