Express & Star

West Brom turn to Alan Pardew in search to replace sacked Tony Pulis

West Brom are eyeing up Alan Pardew as a possible replacement for sacked head coach Tony Pulis.

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Alan Pardew

The 56-year-old is expected to be interviewed this week by chairman John Williams after emerging as one of the few available contenders who ticks several key boxes.

Williams would prefer a manager with Premier League experience and Pardew has that in abundance, having managed in the top tier with West Ham, Charlton Athletic, Newcastle United and Crystal Palace. Pardew is also well known to Albion’s technical director Nick Hammond, who worked with him at Reading.

Hammond is one of four men on the panel that will appoint the new head coach, alongside Williams, chief executive Martin Goodman, and director of football administration Richard Garlick.

Chinese owner Guochuan Lai is expected to green-light whatever choice they come up with.

The Baggies had made Premier League experience their top priority with Albion sitting in a precarious position, one point and one place above the bottom three. But that has narrowed their pool and Sam Allardyce is not keen on the job, having retired partly due to health concerns, and Ronald Koeman is not interested either. Republic of Ireland manager Martin O’Neill has also been considered, as has ex-Albion assistant Nigel Pearson.

But Pardew – whose famous dance celebration in the 2016 FA Cup final remains a viral sensation – is leading the way at the moment and is believed to be interested in the role, with the board hoping to get their new man in place before next Tuesday’s home game with Newcastle.

Stand-in boss Gary Megson is likely to lead the team out at Wembley this weekend when Albion take on Spurs.

Former Brighton and Watford boss Oscar Garcia is also interested in the job, but like Northern Ireland’s Michael O’Neill, his lack of Premier League experience is counting against him.

Garcia took Brighton to the Championship play-offs in 2014.