Ex-Sunderland player Michael Gray has called on his former club to make a move for West Ham manager Sam Allardyce after they sacked Gus Poyet on Monday.
Allardyce is one of the early frontrunners for the post, along with the likes of ex-Swansea boss Michael Laudrup and former England manager Glenn Hoddle, while Dick Advocaat -- who has been out of work since leaving Serbia four months ago -- appears to have been installed as the bookmakers' favourite.
Allardyce's contract at West Ham -- who Sunderland face on Saturday -- expires in the summer, and with no extension currently in sight, Gray thinks the former Bolton boss would be the ideal man for the job at the Stadium of Light.
"If you're looking long-term, there's only one person out there for me and he's in charge of the club that we're playing at the weekend," Gray, who spent the first 12 years of his career at Sunderland, told Sky Sports News of Allardyce.
"He's man-made for it. I know he's having contractual talks with West Ham [over] whether he's going to be staying with the club at the end of the season. He would certainly be my choice.
"It's unfortunate that Gus has lost his job. Nobody likes to see that, but we're all going to be speculating about a new manager and there's only one out there for me to take the rein."
The Hammers might not allow Allardyce to leave Upton Park before the summer and Gray said he would like to see Kevin Ball, who has twice served as caretaker boss before, take over at Sunderland until the end of the season.
"He's a man with a lot of passion, a lot of love for the football club," Gray said of Ball. "He lost his coaching role three or four months ago as well, so I'd certainly bring him back until the end of the season."
Gray added: "It's unfortunate because I think that Sunderland have decent players. They've obviously got experienced players who have come down from Manchester United but for some strange reason the performances have just dipped of late.
"They need to find a winning formula and unfortunately it came too late for Gus Poyet."