Benito Carbone remains an outsider for the Sheffield Wednesday manager's job despite reports of the former striker applying to take over at Hillsborough.

The Italian, who first played English football with the Owls in 1996, has managerial experience with Italian lower-division sides Pavia, Varese, Vallee d'Aoste and Ternana, as well as being Azerbaijan's assistant coach. He was a consultant to then-Leeds United chairman Massimo Cellino, as well as coaching the under-21s.

Carbone played 107 times for Wednesday before moving to Aston Villa, then Premier League Bradford City, who loaned him to Middlesbrough and Derby County.

He has said before it would be a “dream” to manage the club.

HILLSBOROUGH FAVOURITE: Benito Carbone was a popular player at Sheffield Wednesday before embarking on his second career, which involved a spell as a consultant to Leeds United

And although the odds on him have shortened since it emerged he had applied for the Hillsborough job, he is a best-priced 12/1, behind Dean Smith, Nathan Jones, Bruno Lage, Steven Gerrard, Giuseppe Iachini and 3/2 favourite Paul Ince in the betting.

Smith, Jones, Lage and Gerrard all managed in last season's Premier League, with Ince sacked by Championship Reading. Iachini has 20 years of managerial experience but only in Italy, most recently with Parma.

The Owls job has been vacant since the club parted company with manager Darren Moore three weeks after winning the League One play-off final against Barnsley. Moore is a 3/1 second-favourite to return to Oakwell, where he was once a player.

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