SHAUN MALONEY is now the favourite for the currently vacant managerial position at Wigan.

The Championship club sacked Leam Richardson after an eight-game winless run, despite the former boss signing a new three-year contract just weeks before.

Maloney is now the favourite for the position priced at 7/4 with SkyBet as he looks to bounce back into management from his sacking at Hibs.

The former Scotland international has been out a job since his Easter Road dismissal as he was axed after only 19 matches in charge, with owner Ron Gordon going on to claim the team were headed in the wrong direction.

The 39-year-old had to deal with a lengthy injury list, with up to 11 players out at any one time, but Gordon claimed the board had been concerned about performances for two months.

Former Rangers boss Steven Gerrard's odds have also been slashed from 16/1 to 4/1 for the Championship role.

The Liverpool legend is on the hunt for a new job after being sacked by Aston Villa following a poor start to the Premier League season.

Neil Critchley (3/1), Rob Edwards (6/1) and Duncan Ferguson (15/2) are also named on the bookies' shortlist.

Meanwhile, Rangers manager Giovanni van Bronckhorst has vowed to fight on as Ibrox boss.

His side dropped points once again at the weekend as they drew 1-1 away at St Mirren.

Van Bronckhorst said: “I have no fear, no. I never have fear. I just see what comes but I don’t have fear.

“We are going to sit down (with board), that is for sure, and speak about the last couple of months and which way to go forward.

“I said many times before that if we keep dropping points I am accountable for that. That is what comes from the job.

“We prepare the players as best we can and then they have to put in the performance. That is always the case. As I said before, the way we conceded the goal, we had to be sharper.

“It is a five-week break before the next game. Time to reflect and rest and recover and then we have two weeks to prepare for the first game against Hibs.”

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