Former Newcastle United striker rules himself out of becoming next Everton manager

Duncan Ferguson won’t be returning to Everton with the former Newcastle United striker set to become the new manager of Forest Green Rovers.

Following Frank Lampard’s sacking on Monday, the former Scotland international was tipped by some bookmakers to make a shock and swift return to Goodison Park.

A run of eight matches without a win has seen the Toffees fall into the Premier League relegation zone as supporters protest against the club’s ownership and board.

Marcelo Bielsa and Sean Dyche are the frontrunners to succeed Lampard. Ferguson, however, is out of the running amid reports he’s off to Forest Green.

According to The Guardian, the 51-year-old has held positive talks with the League One outfit ahead of what is set to be his first-ever full-time managerial role.

During his time at Everton, Ferguson had two caretaker spells in charge, as well as working under Marco Silva, Sam Allardyce, Carlo Ancelotti, Rafa Benitez and Lampard.

Ferguson, who also had two spells as a player at Goodison Park that spanned 10 years, left the Blues in the summer after revealing his aspirations to pursue a career in management.

He said: “It’s been a massive decision for me. An incredibly difficult one but I need to move on, to take that next step in my career and look for that new challenge.

“Being a caretaker manager has given me confidence to step into management.”

The former Rangers striker will be tasked with keeping Forest Green in League One. They currently sit bottom, four points from safety.

Ferguson made 41 appearances for Newcastle between 1998-2000 and scored 12 goals. His son, Cameron, is part of the Magpies’ under-21s squad.