By Wayne Veysey

2nd May, 2022 | 1:48pm

Sources: Ex-Derby boss Phillip Cocu is leading contender to be Blackburn Rovers manager

Ex-Derby County boss Phillip Cocu is in the frame to replace Tony Mowbray as Blackburn Rovers manager, Football Insider understands.

Mowbray has confirmed he will leave Blackburn at the end of the season when his contract expires.

A Rovers source has told Football Insider that Dutchman Cocu figures highly on their wanted list as a potential replacement.

The 51-year-old, who won three Dutch Eredivisie titles with PSV Eindhoven, has been out of work since leaving Derby in November 2020.

Blackburn Rovers occupied a play-off spot for much of the middle of this season but have slipped out of contention as the campaign draws to a close.

Mowbray steadied the ship during his five-year tenure at Ewood Park – steering the Rovers back to the Championship at the first time of asking in 2018.

However, the former Celtic boss confirmed last week that no contract discussions had taken place with the board – and thus he is set to leave at the season’s end.

Cocu’s Derby spell ended in disaster when he was sacked in November 2020 with the troubled Rams rooted to the bottom of the Championship after 11 games.

However, the previous campaign saw the former Barcelona midfielder guide the Midlands club to a 10th-place finish.

The 51-year-old has won 18 of a potential 57 games in England’s second tier.

Cocu’s Derby sacking is the second on his CV, with the Dutchman also dismissed after a dismal run at Fenerbache in 2018.

Blackburn face Birmingham on Saturday in the final game of the Championship campaign.

In other news, Kieran Maguire claims Championship club could bag multi-million stimulus “through the backdoor” as talks begin.