Former Everton hero Wayne Rooney is a contender to become the Blues' new manager if Frank Lampard is sacked, according to a new report.

The Lowdown: Lampard on the way out?

On Tuesday night, Everton fell to an embarrassing 4-1 defeat at home to Brighton in the Premier League, as they get dragged further into a relegation battle.

It proved to be the point of no return for Lampard, who is surely close to being relieved of his duties as manager after an increasingly poor spell in charge.

And whether Frank is sacked today or not, Farhad Moshiri is reportedly already searching to immediately bring in a replacement...

The Latest: Rooney in contention

According to The Express, Rooney has emerged as a 'leading contender' to replace his former England teammate Lampard at Goodison.

The 37-year-old is currently the manager of DC United in the MLS but he could be 'fond of the idea' of returning to the club where he started out as a player.

There would be a risk element to bringing in Rooney, who likes to use a 4-2-3-1 system, as Lampard's replacement, given his lack of experience, but it is a decision that would likely go down well with supporters.

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Granted, he blotted his copybook by joining Manchester United back in 2004 but fans have generally forgiven him now, especially after he returned for a second spell at Everton.

Mauricio Pochettino is also mentioned in the report and could be a safer bet, although Rooney would connect with the Goodison faithful and is arguably a more exciting option with a bright future in management, having been praised by The Second Tier podcast for doing a 'fantastic' job at Derby County.