Credit: Imago

Evan Lloyd

Sat 2 May 2026 14:56, UK

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Thomas Frank has emerged in the running to take over from Scott Parker at Burnley – almost three months after he was sacked by Tottenham Hotspur.

The Dane’s tenure in North London went horrifically wrong, with his former team now in with a strong chance of relegation under Roberto De Zerbi.

Frank had arrived at Tottenham with a terrific reputation following his time at Brentford, but Premier League jobs will now be hard to come by.

Burnley’s relegation from the top flight was confirmed last week, with Parker mutually agreeing to step down at Turf Moor.

With Frank among the options to take over from the Englishman, Tottenham’s relegation could see them face off against their former manager next season.

Thomas Frank in race to join Burnley

Football Insider exclusively revealed in April that Celtic have set their sights on Frank this summer, with the manager’s reputation clearly still somewhat intact.

The Dane had been so successful at Brentford, taking them from mid-table in the Championship to an established Premier League side in seven years.

Frank made the Gtech Community Stadium a place that even the best Premier League sides feared travelling to, and his side were gutsy and exciting to watch.

The Tottenham move appeared to come at the right time, and the early signs were positive. The Lilywhites took PSG all the way in the Super Cup, and beat Manchester City at the Etihad in their second Premier League game.

Defeat to Bournemouth was a warning sign, but after 11 games of Frank’s tenure, his side had lost just once in normal time.

Few could have predicted the dismal months that would follow, with Tottenham winning just three more Premier League games in the four months leading up to his dismissal.

But decision-makers at Burnley will chiefly see a manager capable of rebuilding a Championship team, and that is what they are interested in.

One major bookmaker has slashed Frank’s odds of taking over the Clarets to 13/2, while the leaders remain Steven Gerrard (8/11) and Brian Barry-Murphy (7/2).

Frank will hope to see Tottenham stay up

Frank will likely be hoping that Tottenham stay in the Premier League this season for a couple of reasons.

Should they go down, the Dane will be heavily associated with one of the most iconic relegations in top-flight history.

And further, should the 52-year-old move to Burnley or another Championship club this summer, he will face a return to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Frank has undoubtedly heard unwelcoming atmospheres before, but he will not have experienced anything like the fury that Tottenham fans will unleash on that day.