Steve Cooper's stance on Cardiff City managerial vacancy becomes clearer | OneFootball

The Bluebirds still don't have a permanent manager following Erol Bulut's September departure, but could Cooper be his replacement?

Steve Cooper would be keen to take up the vacancy at Cardiff City if the opportunity arose, according to reports.

Cooper - who was born in Pontypridd, some 12 miles from the Welsh capital where the Bluebirds play - is now a free agent after he was sacked last week by Premier League outfit Leicester City.

But he could potentially jump straight back into work to shrug off the nightmare of a time he had at the King Power Stadium, with a few vacancies still up for grabs in the EFL - with one of them a long-term one at Cardiff.

It has been over two months since Erol Bulut was sacked by Cardiff owner Vincent Tan, and with Omer Riza having still not been handed the job on a permanent basis, it opens up more possibilities for an individual like Cooper to swoop in - and his stance on the job has become more clear.

Steve Cooper would take Cardiff City job but has reservations

According to a post made on social media publication X by Press Association journalist Phil Blanche, Cooper would 'relish' the chance to manage the club that he grew up not too far away from in his youth.

However, reservations come in the form of his past stint with Cardiff's bitter rivals Swansea City, with Cooper almost leading them to the Premier League via the play-offs in 2021 before losing in the final to Brentford.

Cooper resigned from his post at the Swansea.com Stadium not long after, and a couple of months later ended up at Nottingham Forest, who he guided to the top flight of English football in his first season in the job, but was sacked as Tricky Trees boss in December 2023.

Steve Cooper could be the perfect fit for a Cardiff City job that needs a strong figurehead

With it looking less and less likely that Omer Riza will be appointed on a permanent basis at Cardiff, given he travelled to Malaysia to discuss the role with Vincent Tan over the international break and came back still in the same position, Cooper would be one of the better choices of an outsider to come in and take the job.

He has experience of winning promotion from the Championship, and whilst no-one is expecting Cardiff to go up come May 2025, someone like Cooper could come in and build a platform for them to have a go in 2025-26.

There's likely going to be some unhappy people either side of the M4 if he were to be appointed, but that is to be expected - Swansea fans won't want to see a manager who did very well for them in their rivals' hotseat, whilst some Bluebirds supporters just may not be as receptive to an individual who has worked for the Swans.

Whatever happens though, Cooper should be considered a top candidate for the job - if he's being considered at all.