Ex-Hartlepool United boss Colin Cooper among favourites for Scunthorpe United job

Cooper resigned as manager of League Two Pools in October 2014 after the club went bottom of the Football League following a 3-0 home defeat to rivals Carlisle United.

The former Middlesbrough player and coach has been out of work since, having missed out on the manager's job at Gateshead and Halifax Town.

But the 48-year-old has now emerged as one of the favourites to replace Mark Robins at Scunthorpe United.

Nick Daws is leading the betting to be the Irons next full-time boss and while Cooper hadn't originally been included in the bookies' odds, Skybet now price him at 12/1.

Andy Dawson (4/1), former Swindon Town boss Mark Cooper, Steve Cotterill (12/1) and ex Iron players Neil Cox (16/1) and Graham Alexander (18/1) are also included in the betting.

Cooper, who spent 18-months in charge at Pools, left with a record of 16 wins, 13 draws and 28 defeats from 57 league games.

There was much promise in Cooper’s debut season in management.

After a rocky opening period – no surprise given the hangover of the club’s relegation from League One – Cooper turned things around thanks to a number of good loan signings and some attractive football.

Indeed, when Pools were beaten 1-0 at Oxford United in late March, they were only five points shy of the League Two play-offs.

But Pools finished the season with a woeful run of seven defeats in nine matches, staying up thanks to a memorable backs-to-the-wall Easter Monday win over Morecambe.

Pools started the 2014-15 campaign poorly though and Cooper resigned three months in.

Paul Murray replaced him for a short period before Ronnie Moore took charge in December 2014 and guided the club to safety against the odds.

A no-nonsense defender during his playing days, Cooper played more than 600 games in the Football League – more than half of which were spent at Middlesbrough, in two different spells.

He also had spells as a coach at Middlesbrough and assistant manager at Bradford City.