FORMER Oldham Athletic manager Richie Wellens is keen on the vacant first team manager role at Swindon Town, the Advertiser understands.

Sky Sports have today reported that the 38-year-old bookmakers' favourite is set to to named as Phil Brown's successor at the Energy Check County Ground.

Wellens was installed as the early favourite to be named as Town’s new boss when priced up at 1/3 by BetVictor on Monday morning, however, that price dramatically shifted to 1/7 by midday.

News of Wellens’ possible arrival at the County Ground follows former boss Brown’s sacking on Sunday evening.

Brown – a former manager at Premier League level – took charge of Town in March after being set the challenge of reaching the League Two Play-offs by club chairman Lee Power with 10 games of the season remaining.

Despite failing to reach that goal, the 59-year-old signed a fresh two-year deal with the club in May.

However, a poor start to the season - which sees Town currently languish down in 17th in the League Two table after 17 games - resulted in Brown losing his County Ground role after eight months in charge with assistant Neil McDonald also receiving the sack after joining in the summer.

Wellens, who has less than one full season of managerial experience to his name, is understood by the Advertiser to be interested in the vacant opportunity that is available at SN1.

The 38-year-old was appointed at Boundary Park on a temporary basis last September and after guiding the Latics to a five-match unbeaten run, was handed the position on a full-time basis.

However, Oldham were not able to sustain that form for the remainder of the campaign and they were relegated from the third tier by a single point.

Wellens subsequently left the club over the summer in the wake of the Latics’ fall into League Two.

Also linked with the vacant Town hotseat is former Wimbledon boss Neil Ardley.

League One club Wimbledon parted company with Ardley on Monday morning following his six-year stint at the club, during which he guided them into third tier football having joined amid the club’s fight to avoid relegation from the Football League.

Ardley had been priced as 9/1 second favourite with former Blackpool and Blackburn Rovers manager Gary Bowyer named as third favourite at 10/1.

Also on the bookies’ shortlist are Craig Bellemy, Colin Calderwood and Paul Hurst.

Current left-back – and former Premier League regular – Matt Taylor is also on the shortlist after he took charge of one Town game in March, a 3-0 loss against Cheltenham, prior to Brown’s arrival.