Barnsley eyeing Scottish manager to replace Neill Collins | OneFootball

Barnsley may have already found a replacement for Neill Collins as the club's head coach.

That's after a report from The Daily Record claimed that the League One side have identified Aberdeen coach Peter Leven as a contender to take over at Oakwell.

The Tykes are currently looking for a new head coach following the sacking of Collins on Monday afternoon.

That came with just one game of the regular season still to be played. With the club needing to move quick if they are to have a boss in place for the rest of the campaign, it appears they have now identified a potential target.

Peter Leven on Barnsley radar

According to this latest update, Leven is attracting interest from the Tykes, in their search for someone to take the reigns from Collins.

The 40-year-old is said to be under consideration as Barnsley consider their options for their next appointment.

Leven was placed in interim charge of Aberdeen following the departure of Neil Warnock last month, having also stepped in following the departure of Barry Robson earlier in the campaign.

Since then, he has so far won two, drawn three and lost one of his six league games in charge of Aberdeen this season, while they also took Celtic to a penalty shootout in last weekend's Scottish Cup semi final, where they lost out 6-5.

He is due to be in charge at Pittodrie until the end of the season, when Jimmy Thelin is set to leave his role with Swedish side Elfsborg to become permanent Aberdeen manager.

Leven does have some past experience in English football, representing MK Dons and Oxford United in his playing career, while also working as an academy coach at Middlesbrough.

Barnsley looking to secure a play-off spot

Although they had won just two of their last 11 games, Barnsley's sacking of Collins did still seem somewhat unexpected.

That is due to the fact that they currently sit fifth in the League One table, one point clear of seventh place Oxford United.

As a result, victory over Northampton Town at Oakwell in the final game of the regular season on Saturday, will guarantee them a spot in the League One play-offs, and a shot at promotion to the Championship.

Leven could be a sensible appointment for the Tykes

It does seem as though a move for Leven may not be a bad move for the League One club to make.

The 40-year-old has won praise for the way he has stepped in on a caretaker basis and produced some improved performances for this Aberdeen team.

As a result, after some underwhelming recent showings, that sort of immediate impact that Leven has made at Pittodrie could be just what the Tykes need, given they are going to have to get positive results quickly if they are to have a chance of winning promotion.

It is also worth noting that Leven could be tempted by this move. With Thelin set to take over at Aberdeen, Leven is not going to be in charge of first-team affairs for much longer.

But if he has got the taste for that after this recent spell in charge, a move to Barnsley where he can continue in a similar role may appeal to him.

With that in mind, it does seem as though Leven is a target who looks to be worth considering for the Tykes as they look to make a swift appointment to replace Collins.