Kean was assistant to Coleman at Fulham, Real Sociedad and Coventry

Steve Kean, a 43-year-old Scot who had a modest playing career, has been thrust into the limelight as caretaker after Blackburn sacked Sam Allardyce.

Kean took charge after assistant Neil McDonald exited along with Allardyce.

Anuradha Desai, chairwoman of the club's Venky Group owners, said it could take a couple of months to make a full-time appointment.

"We have been studying him and have been very impressed," she said of Kean, who had been first-team coach.

"He works long hours and is talented at his job.

"He also works well with our very skilful young players and that is important."

Keane's growing reputation had led Kilmarnock to make him their number one target before Mixu Paatelainen was appointed to replace Jimmy Calderwood as manager of the Scottish Premier League club in the summer.

It is nothing against Sam, but we have a different vision looking forward and we want the club to grow Venky Group chairwoman Anuradha Desai

Compensation appeared to be a problem at that time, with Blackburn issuing a statement insisting that the Scot was not interested in a move to Rugby Park.

Now he has been given the chance to prove himself in the Premier League in England following the surprise departure of Allardyce from Ewood Park, if only until the club's new owners choose a successor.

Desai has suggested that the Venky Group would ideally want a British manager in charge.

That would also appear to give Kean, should he want the post permanently, an early advantage over the likes of Martin Jol, Sven-Goran Eriksson and Diego Maradona, who have also been linked with the job.

Kean, who was born in Glasgow but grew up in Cumbernauld, failed to make the breakthrough into a Celtic midfield containing club legends Tommy Burns, Murdo MacLeod and Paul McStay.

While on loan to Swansea City before moving to Academica Coimbra in Portugal, he formed a lasting professional relationship with Chris Coleman.

Kean worked as a coach with Reading before becoming Coleman's assistant at Fulham, Real Sociedad and Coventry City.

His fluency in Portuguese led to him being linked with becoming assistant to Luiz Felipe Scolari at Chelsea in 2008.

However, in August 2009, he instead became first-team coach under Allardyce at Blackburn.

Now he has been made interim boss with Rovers sitting 13th in England's top flight and in internal turmoil less than a month after the £23m takeover by the group specialising in poultry farming and pharmaceuticals.

Allardyce departed three days after his side lost 2-1 to 10-man Bolton Wanderers, but the owners insist they had already taken the decision to find a new manager.

"It has been a long time in our minds," said Desai, hinting that Allardyce's preference for a physical, long-ball game had counted against him.

"It is nothing against Sam, but we have a different vision looking forward and we want the club to grow.

"We want good football and Blackburn to be fourth or fifth in the league or even better.

"The fans should trust us because this is in the best interests of the club. Our thinking now is that it will be a British manager.

"But we are open if there is an outstanding candidate, someone who would be really, really good for the club."

E-mail this to a friend

Printable version