A COUPLE of men with Clarets connections are among the names being put forward as potential replacements for sacked Stoke boss Gudjon Thordasson.

Only last weekend the Icelander led Stoke to promotion to the first division with a play-off final victory over Brentford but his dismissal was predicted.

Adrian Heath and John Ward worked together for one season at Turf Moor and they are now among the early candidates for the Potteries post.

Heath has been working with Peter Reid at Sunderland after an unsuccessful spell at Sheffield United but he could relish the prospect of taking charge of a club again, while Ward has suffered disappointment this season as number two to Dave Jones at Wolves, first missing out on automatic promotion and then seeing his side lose to Norwich in the play-offs.