Former Bristol Rovers and Cardiff City manager favourite for Doncaster Rovers job

Paul Trollope has emerged as the new betting favourite for the vacant manager’s job at struggling Doncaster Rovers.

The League One club, situated second from bottom in the league table, are on the lookout for a new boss after parting company with Richie Wellens a few weeks back.

And now the betting markets have drastically changed in the search for his successor with Trollope now a *2/1 favourite with Bet Victor for the job.

Paul Simpson, who was a coach at Bristol City up until October, is second behind Trollope and is keen to return to football.

The Yorkshire club conducted final stage interviews with applicants on Monday and a decision could be made relatively soon.

At the first stage, it was revealed that another former Gas boss Graham Coughlan was interested in the role.

Coughlan had managed Rovers in League One, guiding them to safety after the departure of Darrell Clarke, but later left to join Mansfield Town.

The Irishman isn’t considered a key favourite for the role however and is placed in seventh, behind the likes of Paul Clement and Mick McCarthy.

Instead, it is Trollope, who had a more successful career in Bristol who is in pole position according to the bookmakers, to take charge.

The 49-year-old has not worked as a manager since his ill-fated spell at Cardiff City, in which he was sacked after just 12 matches.

His only other senior job in management was at Bristol Rovers where he managed for more than five years.

Trollope, who had initially joined Rovers as a player on a free transfer from Northampton Town, was thrust into management in his second season at the club, following the departure of Ian Atkins.

Working alongside director of football Lennie Lawrence, the pair would recruit players like Rickie Lambert and Chris Lines, who would go on to become legends at the club.

In their first full season, the Gas won promotion to League Two after winning the play-off final at Wembley Stadium after picking themselves up from EFL Trophy heartache, ironically to Doncaster.

Another mid-table finish would follow, this time in a higher division, but they would make an FA Cup quarter-final appearance for the first time in 50 years, beating Premier League outfit Fulham along the way.

Unfortunately their time at the club would come to an end in December 2010 with the club languishing in the relegation zone.

After his Rovers exit, he would go on to coach numerous times under Chris Hughton, working at Birmingham City, Brighton & Hove Albion and lastly Nottingham Forest, before their sacking in September.

*Odds correct at the time of publication