Former Plymouth Argyle boss John Sheridan has emerged as shock contender for the vacant manager's job at Sheffield Wednesday, reports the Daily Star. 

The Owls parted company with Stuart Gray on Thursday because - the Daily Star claim - he wasn't a big enough name for chairman Dejphon Chansiri.

Chansiri bought the club in January from Milan Mandaric for a reported £37.5 million and there were speculation for quite some time that Gray was to be shown the door at Hillsborough.

Now the axe has fallen on the 55-year-old, former Wednesday favourite John Sheridan has emerged as a contender for the job.

Sheridan, 50, achieved legendary status at Hillsborough as a player having spent seven years at the club and scored the only goal in their 1991 League Cup final victory over Manchester United.

The former Republic of Ireland international quit League Two side Plymouth last month after failing to win promotion as they were beaten in the play-offs.

Sheridan, a midfielder in his playing days, has also managed Oldham Athletic and Chesterfield, where he guided the Spireites to the League Two title in 2011 and a Johnstone's Paint Trophy final a year later.

He may be a popular choice among Wednesday fans but he has never managed a club beyond the third tier.

Gray had been in charge of Wednesday for 18 months and won 30 of his 84 matches in charge after taking over from Dave Jones in November 2013.

The former Southampton boss steered the club away from relegation by the end of the 2013/14 season and led them to a comfortable mid-table finish last term.

Former West Ham United manager Glenn Roeder has been employed as an advisor at the South Yorkshire outfit and will be helping Chansiri in the quest for a new manager.

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