Southend United are in talks with Kevin Bond about appointing him as permanent manager, says chairman Ron Martin.
Former Tottenham and QPR assistant Bond, 61, kept the Shrimpers in League One after taking over from Chris Powell for the final six games of the season.
Martin hopes to confirm an appointment by the end of the week.
“Kevin’s very caring, desperately wants the job and we’re looking at the contract with him right now,” Martin told BBC Essex.
“I am talking seriously to him; I think he did a good job. He seems a very straightforward, honest guy and has huge experience in the industry.”
Ex-Charlton boss Powell was sacked in March with the club only out of the relegation zone on goal difference.
Southend had the fifth-highest budget in League One this season but needed an 87th-minute winner against Sunderland on the final day to stay up under Bond.
“I call him ‘Mr Cool’ because he showed no emotion at the end of the match, so maybe we should call him James Bond rather than Kevin,” joked Martin.
Club ‘very close’ to approval on stadium
Southend submitted a planning application for a new 21,000-seat stadium at Fossetts Farm in May 2017 but are still awaiting approval, with more than 5,000 people signing a letter of support in January.
Martin, who has been at the Essex club for 21 years, hopes they receive planning consent from Southend Council this summer.
“I’ve had to support this club to a significant degree over an extended period,” he said. “I don’t think that will necessarily cease in the new stadium, but it will be much better placed in terms of its income streams.
“I would hope that we’d have cross-party support for something that is such a major regeneration for the town, let alone the town’s professional football club.
“We do need the council to accelerate the end-game now.”
A number of players and staff at the club were paid their April salaries two days late.
