Former Leeds United favourite reveals he was a candidate to replace Javi Gracia and hopes to be in the running to succeed Sam Allardyce

The former midfielder was linked with the job when Javi Gracia was sacked after a humiliating 4-1 defeat to Bournemouth.

The Elland Road board opted instead for Allardyce, a man with great experience of steering clubs away from top-flight relegation.

But the former England manager was able to glean just one point from his four games, and Leeds have dropped into next season's Championship. With both parties agreeing not to extend the short-term arrangement, Leeds are on the lookout for a fourth new manager since sacking Marcelo Bielsa in February 2022.

"Without going into too much detail, there was a message or two exchanged and the decision from the club was to go with Big Sam because of experience," admitted Bowyer in an interview with Talk Sport. "Obviously, unfortunately for the football club, that didn't work out. But going forward I like to think that we'd have a conversation at some stage and maybe try and put something together."

One-cap England midfielder Bowyer was part of arguably Leeds's last successful era, playing Champions League football in a spell which started in 1996 with a £2.8m transfer which was a record for a British teenager and ended in 2003 as serious problems were starting to emerge behind the scenes.

If his inexperience of Premier League management worked against Bowyer in April, his time in the second tier managing Charlton Athletic and latterly Birmingham City – two other clubs he played for – is in his favour now.

But a new manager – or more likely head coach – is arguably not Leeds's top priority right now and there are other candidates in the frame too.

Reports have suggested the ownership of the club could change hands from chairman Andrea Radrizzani to current minority shareholders San Francisco 49ers Enterprises in the next week as the two haggle over a price, and the club need to replace Victor Orta as director of football or with a position such as head of recruitment taking on some of his roles.

Former under-23s coach Carlos Corberan, who was also an assistant of Bielsa's before leaving to take over at Huddersfield Town, is another with Championship experience to be linked.

The Spaniard is thought to have a release clause at West Bromwich Albion, where the chief executive who recruited him, Ron Gourlay, is serving his notice.

Jon Dahl Tomasson has also been linked after a strong debut season at Blackburn Rovers.