Norwich City next manager: Hamilton player-manager Alex Neil emerges as surprise favourite for Norwich City job

Hamilton player-manager Alex Neil has emerged as a surprise contender to become the next Norwich City manager, according to the bookies.

Sky Bet have reported a surge of interest in the 33-year-old in their next next Norwich City manager odds, prompting them to slash his odds from 33/1 to 1/6 on Wednesday afternoon.

Caretaker boss Mike Phelan had been held as the clear favourite since Neil Adams’ departure, trading at odds as short as 1/3 before the run of bets on Neil, but is now 5/1 to get the job on a permanent basis.

It would be a significant surprise if the Canaries were to turn Neil, given his only managerial experience has come with the Scottish Premiership outfit, where he was appointed in his current role back in May 2013.

The Accies have enjoyed an impressive season to date, sitting third in the league and on course to qualifying for European football, just four points behind leaders Aberdeen.

Tim Sherwood is considered the other main contender for the position at 6/1, while the likes of Brian McDermott, Stuart McCall, Uwe Rosler and Neil Warnock (all 25/1) remain unpopular in the betting.

Sky Bet Football Trader Chris Spicer said: “We certainly didn’t expect Neil to be in the running, having initially offered him at 33/1 when added by request.

“However, the money we’ve seen has come from punters who have proven well informed in the past, while the interest in Phelan and Sherwood has dried up.”