Alan Shearer has informed Blackburn Rovers that he may be persuaded to swap the comfort of the television studio for the stresses and strains of management by returning to Ewood Park to succeed Mark Hughes. The former England captain has told his former club that he would be interested in being interviewed for their vacancy and that he believes he has the quality and hunger to drive the club forward.

Shearer’s name was among the first in the frame when Hughes left for Manchester City last week, but there were doubts whether he would be willing to turn his back on his lucrative role as a studio analyst for the BBC. However, he is understood to have been approached by the club and to have indicated that he would be happy to compete for the position with Paul Ince, his former England teammate. Although Shearer has stopped short of declaring his interest outright, his willingness to discuss the post has been welcomed at Ewood Park.

Having spent the past few days weighing up the merits of several candidates, John Williams, the chairman, is due to meet his fellow directors to-day to discuss a shortlist that is likely to include Ince, the Milton Keynes Dons manager, Stuart Pearce, the England Under21 head coach, Sam Allardyce, the former Bolton Wanderers and Newcastle United manager, and Steve McClaren, the former England head coach. There are also a number of overseas candidates, such as Roberto Mancini, the former Inter Milan coach, Michael Laudrup, of Getafe, Dick Advocaat, of Zenit St Petersburg, and both Avram Grant and Henk ten Cate, who worked together at Chelsea last season.

There is considerable support at Blackburn for the appointment of Ince, who would become the first black British manager of a Premier League club, but the availability and interest of Shearer, who spent four successful years at Ewood Park as a player, would change the complexion of the club’s search.

Some have questioned how serious Shearer is about his stated ambition to become a manager, having turned down a coaching job with England under the McClaren regime while seemingly holding out for the job at Newcastle. But the 37-year-old has earned the necessary coaching qualifications and is believed to have told Mike Newell, his former Blackburn strike partner, who had a spell in charge of Luton Town, and Tommy Craig, the former Newcastle coach, that he will appoint them to his backroom staff if and when he becomes a manager.