Alan Curbishley has been interviewed for the Villa vacancy as the race to replace Martin O’Neill hotted up today.

The ex-Charlton and West Ham manager, who has jumped to second favourite for the job, met with the claret and blue hierarchy yesterday with the club hoping to name their new boss by the start of next week.

Owner Randy Lerner and chief executive Paul Faulkner spent the early part of the week quizzing potential candidates in London, however they have now returned to Birmingham where they are due to speak with another two candidates, one of them believed to be current caretaker Kevin MacDonald, today.

Reports today claim Sven-Goran Eriksson has also been interviewed for the post, while former Liverpool chief Gerard Houllier and another ex-West Ham boss, Gianfranco Zola, are other names being linked with the post.

While Curbishley made his name as a player at West Ham, he also wore the claret and blue of Villa from 1983-84 after moving across the Second City from Birmingham, going on to make 36 appearances for the club.

Having spent 15 years in charge at Charlton and two years at the Hammers, he certainly fits Villa’s criteria of wanting a manager with Premier League experience.

The 52-year-old has been out of football exactly two years today after resigning from his post with the Hammers — against whom he won a case of constructive dismissal after parting company when several players were sold without his permission.

He has been linked with a number of top-flight vacancies, including most recently Fulham.

The Express & Star understands Graham Taylor is among the experienced figures in the game who have been consulted, with the former Villa and England manager having given a glowing reference to MacDonald, who would have worked under him during his second spell in charge at the club.

MacDonald formally applied for the post on Tuesday and Taylor is believed to have praised the Scot’s coaching credentials.

The ex-Liverpool player has been at the helm since O’Neill quit on August 9, however Villa are determined to have their new man in place before their next game, the Premier League trip to Stoke on Monday week.

Ronald Koeman, David Moyes and Mark Hughes are among the other names linked but none of the trio are believed to figure in Villa’s thinking.