Former Blackpool, Bradford City, Sunderland and Huddersfield Town boss 'in talks' for international job

Former Blackpool manager Simon Grayson is reportedly in talks to become the next manager of the India national team.

According to Football Insider, Grayson has held preliminary talks with the AIFF about succeeding Igor Stimac, who was relieved of his duties on Monday (June 17). It would represent a return to Asia with his last job being Bengaluru where he was manager from June 2022 to December 2023.

In their advertisement for the post, they say they are looking for a coach with a minimum of 10-15 years of coaching at elite youth and senior football. They added that preference would be given to individuals that have had prior experience of managing at a World Cup.

Grayson has been in football management for 18 years after taking on the Blackpool job in November 2005. He was at the club for more than six years and guided the team to play-off success in 2007.

He left for Leeds United and helped win the Whites promotion and repeated the same feat with Huddersfield Town in 2012. Grayson had a spell with Preston North End and guided them back to the Championship, before having a brief stint in charge at Bradford City, and then returned to Blackpool in July 2019.

The 54-year-old remained in Lancashire as he took charge of Fleetwood Town and guided them to safety before departing in November 2021. In India, Grayson finished second in the Indian Super League but lifted the Durand Cup,

India are ranked 121st in the world and recently lost to Qatar in World Cup qualifying after a goalless draw with Kuwait. The country with the second largest population in the world will not be competing at the 2026 World Cup which will be held in Canada, Mexico and the USA.