FRANK Lampard is not currently being considered as a frontrunner for the vacant Oxford United managerial job, the Oxford Mail understands.

The Chelsea legend has featured prominently among the bookmakers in recent days, as United search for Liam Manning’s replacement.

Despite his placing in the bookies’ lists, it is understood that at present, Lampard is not among the favourites by the U’s hierarchy.

Interviews with candidates are to take place in the coming days, following initial broadly informal conversations with a handful of applicants last week.

United chairman Grant Ferguson, chief executive Tim Williams, head of recruitment Ed Waldron, and football advisor Derek Fazackerley will be the key figures in conducting interviews and undertaking the quest for a new head coach.

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Lampard has twice been linked with the U’s in the past, during the summer of 2017 and in January 2018.

The former occasion ultimately saw Pep Clotet replace Michael Appleton in July 2017. Less than seven months later, Clotet was sacked, with Karl Robinson announced as the Spaniard’s successor in March 2018, following a two-month caretaker spell for United under Fazackerley.

Lampard began his managerial career at Derby County, guiding the Rams to the Championship play-off final in 2019.

In what was his sole season in charge, Derby finished sixth in the second tier, but lost to Aston Villa in the play-off final.

Lampard left the Rams for Chelsea, taking the Blues to the Emirates FA Cup final in 2020, where they were beaten by Arsenal, and a fourth-place finish in the Premier League.

The Blues legend was then sacked by the Stamford Bridge outfit in January 2021, with the club ninth in the table.

Lampard, who is Chelsea’s record scorer with 211 goals in 648 appearances, was then named Everton manager in January 2022, but was sacked eight days short of his one-year anniversary at Goodison Park, with the Toffees second from bottom in the Premier League.

The 45-year-old returned to Chelsea in April, acting as caretaker boss for the Blues’ run-in last season after Graham Potter was dismissed.