Sunderland next manager favourite admits Newcastle boss Eddie Howe ‘inspires’ him

Eddie Howe has enjoyed a successful stint so far at Sunderland’s arch-rivals Newcastle United having led the Magpies to Champions League qualification and the Carabao Cup final

Sunderland managerial favourite Will Still has admitted he has drawn inspiration from Newcastle United boss Eddie Howe during his career to date.

Sunderland have been without a permanent manager since Michael Beale was sacked last month after a short stint of just 12 matches in charge. One candidate tipped with replacing him at the Stadium of Light is Still.

The 31-year-old Stade Reims head coach earned headlines in the United Kingdom last year after overseeing a solid job in Ligue 1. His team sit ninth in the French top flight ahead of their trip to PSG this Sunday.

While his appointment would be seen positively by most supporters, fans may not be so keen to hear who he takes inspiration from. In an interview with AS, Still explained: “I was inspired by everyone.

“There is no coach better than another. I think there are different ideas throughout the world of football that we can learn from. [Carlo] Ancelotti too, who has done absolutely crazy things. But we also have Eddie Howe, in Newcastle, who does things very well.

Last season, the Englishman led the Magpies to Champions League qualification and reached the Carabao Cup final. This campaign has been difficult for Newcastle as injuries tore through their squad.

While next year’s Champions League looks out of the question, Newcastle remain in the hunt for the FA Cup and face Manchester City next weekend in the quarter-finals. Meanwhile, Sunderland sit 12th in the Championship after losing 4-2 to Southampton on Saturday.