Chesterfield legend overwhelming bookies favourite

Former Chesterfield player Danny Wilson is the bookies overwhelming favourite to land the vacant Chesterfield managers job, with his odds being slashed to 1/6 fuelling speculation that he could be the next man to lead the Spireites. Former Swindon boss Mark Cooper and Northampton Town boss Chris Wilder have now been pushed out to 6/1 and 8/1 respectively. It is looking increasingly likely that Wilson will be the man tasked with changing the Spireites form.

Wilson a tough tackling midfielder with abilities to press and harass opponents while also possessing a wonderful passing game played 100 games for the Spireites from 1980 to 1983, before being sold to Nottingham Forest. He went on to win 24 caps for Northern Ireland and win the League Cup with both Luton Town in 1988 and Sheffield Wednesday in 1991.

Wilson has racked up over 1000 games as a manager over a 20 year career at just 55 years old. 

Wilson began his managerial career with Barnsley in 1994 and his first season in charge he saw the club rise to sixth place in Division One. In the 1996/97 season the Wilson led Barnsley to promotion to the Premier League as Division One runners-up, the first time in the club's history that promotion to the top-flight had been achieved.

After an unsuccessful spell at Sheffield Wednesday, Wilson became boss at Bristol City in June 2000. In April 2003 he guided the Robins to Football League Trophy glory, winning in the final against Carlisle United at The Millennium Stadium in front of over 50,000 fans. Bristol City has been the biggest success of Wilson's career, he left the Robins with a 47.35% win ratio.

After a couple of years at MK Dons where he saved the side from relegation in his first season, Wilson was then appointed the new boss of Hartlepool United in the summer of 2006 where he again had good success. In the 2006/07 League Two season he helped the side to promote at the first attempt. Wilson then took over at Swindon Town where he changed their fortunes and pulled them away from the relegation zone in League One. The following season Wilson impressively led Swindon to the play-off final where they narrowly missed out on promotion to Millwall.

Wilson then moved back to area and took over at Sheffield United at the annoyance of Wednesday and Barnsley fans. In his first full season at Bramall Lane, the Blades finished 3rd despite amassing an impressive 90 points. Wilson's side just missed out on a return to the Championship when they lost on penalties to former Spireite player Gary Roberts' Huddersfield Town in the play-offs final.

Most recently Wilson was at Barnsley where he was tasked with a re-building job. Inconsistent results saw Wilson relived of his duties in February 2015,The Tykes were17th in the table, seven points clear of the relegation zone and seven off the play-off places.

Radio Sheffield Sports editor Andy Giddings has suggested that a deal for a manager will be done just before or after Christmas.