Burnley have commenced their search for a new manager following the dismissal of Nicky Hayen.
Hayen arrived at Turf Moor in July as the permanent replacement for Scott Parker following a lengthy process to find his successor.
Promoted from the Championship in both of their last two seasons in the second-flight, there was an expectation that the Clarets would be amongst the sides competing for an automatic return to the Premier League, but they've endured a dismal start to the campaign.
Burnley have registered just one win in their opening 12 Championship fixtures under the stewardship of the Belgian, and he was dismissed following a humiliating 4-1 defeat at Lincoln City on Saturday.
Here are our top five contenders to be the next Burnley manager.
Next Burnley Manager Contenders
Rob Edwards
Former Wolves boss Rob Edwards could be eyeing a return to management after being sacked by the West Midlands outfit following the club's relegation to the Championship.
Edwards was taking an almighty risk when trading Championship promotion-chasing Middlesbrough for Premier League relegation-battlers Wolves in November 2025, confessing that he simply couldn't pass up the opportunity to manage his boyhood club.
While Edwards was unable to keep Wolves in the top-flight, he oversaw an improvement in the second half of the 2025/26 term, and so it came as a surprise to many when he was sacked just days after playing a part in the signings of Kieran Trippier and Raul Jimenez.
With a Championship promotion under his belt from his time at Luton Town, Edwards has proven himself in the second tier of English football, and it may be that Burnley pursue someone with EFL knowhow after the failed Hayen experiment.
Carlos Corberan
Until Carlos Corberan is back in management, expect him to be linked with most, if not all Championship vacancies for the forseeable.
Taking Huddersfield Town from 20th to 3rd in the Championship and overseeing a drastic improvement at West Bromwich Albion, Corberan is not short of Championship experience and gained the majority of his plaudits during his time in England.
The Spaniard steered Valencia to survival in the 2024/25 season and guided them to a much-improved ninth-placed finish last campaign, but a poor start to the new term saw him sacked in September.
Despite his sacking, his style of play remains highly thought of and it's no surprise to see his name in the picture to replace Hayen at Burnley.
Steven Gerrard
Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard is amongst the early names to have been mentioned to succeed Hayen in the Turf Moor dugout.
Gerrard enjoyed a fruitful start to management when leading Rangers to the Scottish Premiership in 2020/21 -- simultaneously preventing Old Firm rivals Celtic from winning a 10th successive league title -- but he failed to have the same success when joining Aston Villa.
Following his Villa Park dismissal, he spent 18 months with Saudi Pro League outfit Al-Ettifaq before mutually parting ways with the club in January 2025.
Gerrard's name was mooted when Burnley were searching for the right man to succeed Parker, and it feels as though returning to the managerial scene in the Championship would make sense after a lengthy spell away.
Steve Cooper
It could be said that Steve Cooper was out of his depth in the top-flight with Nottingham Forest and Leicester City, but he boasts an impressive record that can't be ignored in the Championship.
Cooper guided Swansea to the play-offs in successive campaigns -- losing in the semi-finals in 2019/20 and the final in 2020/21, both to Brentford -- and he later won promotion to the Premier League with Nottingham Forest via the play-offs in 2022.
He remains out of a job since being released of his Brondby contract in May, and he may be keen to prove his credentials in England once again if Burnley come calling.
Dave Challinor
Dave Challinor remains available after leaving Stockport County following the club's League One play-off final defeat to Bolton Wanderers in May.
While a number of available managers on the market have taken hits to their reputation following underwhelming spells at previous clubs, Challinor's stock is high, having achieved a play-off finish or better in each of his 15 full seasons as a manager.
The 51-year-old has been linked with numerous vacancies in the EFL since parting ways with the Greater Manchester side -- including Sheffield Wednesday following Henrik Pedersen's dismissal -- and while the Burnley job would represent a sizeable step up, he'd no doubt back himself to overturn a dismal start.
