Chairman Milan Mandaric has revealed the calibre of applicants for the vacant managerial job at Leicester has been 'encouraging'.Since Ian Holloway parted company with the club by mutual consent on Friday, Mandaric has been inundated with interest.

Mandaric, who is searching for his sixth manager since taking over the club in February 2007, told the Leicester Mercury: "I have looked at those who have expressed an interest, and I must say I find the quality in the list of names very encouraging.

"It shows that some very good people still see this club as one with potential and with the ingredients to become a top-flight side once again, even though we are currently in the third level of the game.

"They want to be given the chance to take us up again. So I will take my time, go through the names and give it a lot of thought because, as I have said, this is the most important decision I have ever had to make and already there are a lot of good candidates."

Former Derby boss Billy Davies has emerged as the favourite to succeed Holloway, with Paul Lambert, who left Wycombe at the end of the season, also thought to be in the frame.

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