After five games without a win in all competitions, Sunderland made a big managerial decision on Sunday night, as they announced that they had sacked manager Phil Parkinson.

The League One side are already on the hunt for Parkinson's successor, with several names inevitably being linked with the Stadium of Light hotseat.

One such name to have been linked with the Black Cats, is Nigel Pearson. The 57-year-old would likely be an appealing candidate for those associated with Sunderland, but is it an appointment that is likely to happen.

Here, we take a look at exactly that.

What do we know so far?

Pearson has been out of work since he was sacked by Watford earlier this summer, when there were just two games remaining in the Hornets battle to avoid relegation from the Premier League, something they ultimately failed to do.

Since then, Pearson has revealed that he suffered badly with ill health over the summer, but luckily he is now on the road to recovery, and has admitted he would like to return to management at some point in the future.

Sunderland are one club who could offer him that opportunity, with journalist Alan Nixon confirming that both Pearson and Gus Poyet - who has already managed Sunderland in the past - are among those under consideration for the role.

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However, they may not be alone in the battle to take over at Sunderland, with Sky Sports reporter Keith Downie revealing recently that the club have received "dozens" of applications for the role.

It has also been pointed out that Sunderland's prospective new owners, Juan Sartori and Kyril Louis-Dreyfus, are thought to have a replacement for Parkinson lined up, meaning it may already have been decided whether or not Pearson will be handed an opportunity at The Stadium of Light.

Is it likely to happen?

Given his experience of managing at Premier League level, and the fact he previously took Leicester from the Championship to the top-flight, you can understand why Pearson might be seen as a decent appointment for Sunderland.

However, given his recent comments about his health, you do have to wonder whether Pearson will feel he is ready to return to the technical area just yet.

There is also the issue of finances here, and with his last job having been at a Premier League club, you wonder if the Black Cats can afford to bring him to League One, especially at such a challenging time for teams outside the top-flight.

You also wonder whether those potential new owners will be keen to bring in somewhere they are more familiar with from elsewhere in the world, meaning while Pearson could be a suitable candidate for the job, it does seem as though it might still be something of a surprise if he gets it.