Sol Campbell has been interviewed for the managerial vacancy at Southend United.
The former Arsenal and Tottenham defender has been out of work since stepping down as Macclesfield boss on August 15, ending an eight-month spell at the cash-stricken League Two side.
Blues chairman Ron Martin is keen to find Kevin Bond's successor quick and has reportedly interviewed Campbell for the role.
'Sol is a passionate, eloquent individual,' Martin told the Southend Echo.
'One can perhaps understand why Sol succeeded against the odds at Macclesfield.'
Martin has also met with Barcelona and Celtic legend Henrik Larsson over the vacant position.
The Southend chief flew to Sweden last week to speak with the former striker, who watched the Blues lose 1-0 at home to Accrington in Sky Bet League One last Saturday.
Larsson and Campbell are not the only candidate to replace Bond - who resigned on September 6 - with current caretaker Gary Waddock still in Martin's plans.
'We know the qualities within the manager that we are looking for but the combination of those characteristics or persons are not always available and its right we carry out, as we are, proper due diligence in arriving at the right choice,' Martin said earlier this week.
'Henrik Larsson is obviously one of the individuals that we have been interviewing but he is not the only candidate and no decision has been made as I write this statement.
'I am going to Stockholm in the morning, back in the afternoon, to meet potential 'back room staff' but that's it, gathering information. There are five shortlisted candidates and Gary Waddock is certainly included.
'It's sometimes difficult for the assistant to step into the shoes of the manager but in this instance Gary has had very considerable experience and he is well-placed to stamp his authority.'
Martin, in a lengthy statement on the official club website, insisted he hopes to make a permanent appointment before Saturday's match at Gillingham.
Bond took over from the sacked Chris Powell at the start of April and kept Southend up, but failed to win a single game in League One this season and walked away at the beginning of September.