Former Tottenham boss Tim Sherwood has emerged as the number one candidate to replace Steve McClaren at Queens Park Rangers.

That's according to the Evening Standard, who say that the 50-year-old is the man the hierarchy want to take the club forward.

A dismal run of form which has seen the R's win just once in the league since Boxing Day saw McClaren sacked earlier this week, with a 2-1 loss at home to struggling Bolton the game that sealed his fate.

Despite that, the London outfit are eight points ahead of the relegation zone so shouldn't really have anything to worry about as we approach the final seven games.

Nevertheless, they will want an appointment finalised as soon as possible so the new man can get to grips with the squad ahead of what is sure to be a busy summer.

And, that appears as though it could be Sherwood, whose last managerial role was with Aston Villa in 2015.

Even though he has a mixed reputation in the game, here we look at TWO reasons why this would be the right appointment for QPR...

He knows key figures at the club

Sherwood has a very good relationship with Director of Football Les Ferdinand and you can't underestimate the importance of that.

It's vital that everyone at the club is pulling in the same direction and share a similar outlook on how the game should be played. Clearly, that's the case with the former Spurs players.

He can develop younger players

One of the standout qualities the 50-year-old has is how he can improve younger players.

He showed at White Hart Lane that he is prepared to give youngsters a chance and he has a background in youth football that is impressive.

That's exactly what the R's need as there will be a real focus on bringing through their own talented academy graduates in the years and developing the current crop.