Alan Pardew and Phil Parkinson have both registered their interest in the vacant Portsmouth job, according to journalist Alex Crook

Kenny Jackett was sacked after the EFL Trophy final defeat to Salford on the weekend, bringing his near-four years on the South Coast to an end.

Caretaker boss Joe Gallen has taken interim charge at Fratton Park and the search for a permanent Jackett replacement is underway.

Crook has reported that Pardew and Parkinson have both expressed an interested in the vacant position at Portsmouth.

Pardew is currently the technical director at CSKA Sofia and has not managed in English football since leaving West Bromwich Albion in 2018.

The 59-year-old has Premier League pedigree having managed Albion, Crystal Palace, Newcastle United, West Ham United, and Charlton Athletic in the top flight.

He has not managed in League One since his time at Southampton more than a decade ago, which he left after just one season despite winning the EFL Trophy.

A former assistant of Pardew, Parkinson only left division rivals Sunderland back in November.

Despite failing to secure promotion with the Black Cats, the 53-year-old has a good record in the EFL's lower tiers having won promotion with Bradford City and Bolton.

The Verdict

Pardew is something of an unexpected name in the mix and though you feel he may be unpopular among fans, his top-flight experience does make him an interesting candidate.

Parkinson, on the other hand, has more League One nous and knows what it is like in the division at the moment but was sacked for failing to secure promotion with Sunderland – the task he will likely be asked to do at Pompey.

Neither would be an awful appointment, in my eyes, but you feel the South Coast club could turn to someone a little more progressive after Jackett's sacking.