Next Aston Villa manager: Five early contenders to replace Steve Bruce

After defeat in the play-off final last season, hopes were high at the club that Villa could mount another promotion challenge after receiving "significant" funds from investors NSWE over the summer.

But the team have been unable to match the pace of the likes of Leeds and Middlesbrough.

Here are five contenders for the Villa Park hot seat.

Thierry Henry

Nassef Sawiris and Wes Edens, the billionaires who control NSWE, reportedly wanted Henry this summer, which could indicate they want to put their own stamp on the club.

Henry left his lucrative job as a pundit on Sky Sports at the end of last season amid plans to become a manager after earning his stripes at former club Arsenal and, more recently, with Belgium as assistant to Roberto Martinez.

The 41-year-old was reportedly set to take his first step in management at Ligue 1 club Bordeaux this summer but that never materialised.

Dean Smith

Smith was one of the favourites for the West Brom job after impressing with Sky Bet Championship side Brentford.

The 47-year-old was born in the midlands and enjoyed relative success at Walsall, leading the club to survival after being named successor to Chris Hutchings on a permanent basis in 2011.

He guided the Saddlers to a maiden Wembley appearance in the Football League Trophy in 2015 and they were sitting fourth the following season when Brentford came calling.

The Bees have finished ninth, 10th and ninth in Smith's three seasons at Griffin Park and are renowned for playing attractive football.

Andrea Stramaccioni

Reports in Italy last month claimed that the former Inter boss is on Villa's radar.

Stramaccioni is best-known for his mixed time at San Siro, where he impressed while in charge of the club's youth teams but could not replicate his success with the senior squad.

The 42-year-old left Inter after just one season in charge and has since had unsuccessful stints at Udinese, Panathinaikos and Sparta Prague.

Claudio Ranieri

His four seasons there saw Chelsea improve their points total season on season, with them finishing runners-up in 2004 and reaching the UEFA Champions League semi-final the same season.

Ranieri returned to England once more in the summer of 2015 as manager of Leicester City.

He went on to win the 2015–16 Premier League, after the club had narrowly avoided relegation the season prior, and was named the 2016 Premier League Manager of the Season, and LMA Manager of the Year.

He was sacked by the club in February 2017, after a string of bad results.

In June 2017 he joined Nantes as manager.

John Terry

The former captain’s odds have been slashed over the last few days for what would be an emotional return to the club he led to within a game of the Premier League last season.

Terry has been linked with coming back as a player but has been biding his time after turning down the opportunity to go and play in Russia.

He has never hid his desire to step into management and whilst also being connected with a coaching role at Chelsea, Villa could be too good to turn down. His inexperience might count against him