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| Fulham midfielder John Collins linked to Aberdeen Manager position |
Fulham player-coach John Collins has emerged as a dark horse in the list of candidates to succeed Ebbe Skovdahl as Aberdeen manager.
It is understood that the Aberdeen board feel the former Scotland international has a number of the required credentials to take on the job.
The 34-year-old has been told by his club that he can leave when the transfer window re-opens in January.
But while Collins is said to be flattered by the interest from Aberdeen, he believes he still has a couple of years' football left in him and such a move may be just too early for him.
Collins is a highly respected figure in the game, having played at the top level for Celtic, Monaco and Everton.
He has excellent contacts across Europe and is an intelligent, thoughtful individual, similar in many aspects to one of the frontrunners for the Aberdeen job, Eric Black.
The successful candidate is likely to come from a group that contains Black, Collins and two up-and-coming First Division managers, Steve Paterson and Ian McCall.
The Aberdeen board will meet on Monday to discuss the potential candidates ahead of the club's annual general meeting later in the day.
While Skovdahl has indicated that he would be willing to stay on until the end of the season if necessary, it is likely that the Dons will have a new man in place within a fortnight.