Aston Villa assistant head coach Michael Beale has emerged as a candidate for the current Charlton Athletic managerial vacancy, as per the South London Press.

The club are seeking a new man in the dugout after recently parting ways with Johnnie Jackson after a tough season at The Valley.

After being relegated from the second-tier, the Addicks could only manage a 13th-placed finish in League One this campaign.

According to the South London Press, Beale is one to potentially watch with regards to the vacancy, with Addicks owner Thomas Sandgaard said to be an admirer of the 41-year-old.

This is not the first time that Beale has been linked with the vacant dugout role at Charlton Athletic.

When Nigel Adkins was relieved of his duties last October, Beale is one of the names Sandgaard discussed the then also vacant role with.

Speaking to the South London Press at the time, Sandgaard said: "He (Beale) has a fantastic track record, especially on the supporting side."

“Of course we talked to Michael. We’ve also been a little more ambitious than that, in terms of the level of managers we’ve been reaching for."

Other names linked with the role included former Celtic boss Neil Lennon, and current Exeter City boss Matt Taylor.

The Verdict

Charlton Athletic are clearly doing their due diligence in their search for the next man to occupy the dugout at The Valley.

There have been plenty of names linked with the vacancy so far and it is clear the club are exploring plenty of options.

Given Sandgaard's comments above though, suggesting that Beale wasn't an 'ambitious' appointment, this would certainly be an interesting one if it happened.

By all accounts Beale is a fantastic coach, and he is an experienced one too, but not at head coach level in senior football.

After Johnnie Jackson's departure, you would have thought that perhaps the club would be seeking a candidate with more head coaching experience at senior level.