Rioch wants Rams return

Rioch's most recent position was at Wigan Athletic

By BBC Sport Online's Lewis Wiltshire

Bruce Rioch, one of the heroes of Derby's all-conquering 1970s team, wants to return to the club as manager.

The vastly-experienced 54-year-old told BBC Sport Online he would be "most interested" in succeeding Colin Todd, who was sacked on Monday.

"Of course I am interested in the Derby job," said Rioch.

"They are a club I have strong links with and I would be most interested in the position.

Rioch signed Bergkamp for Arsenal in 1995

"I have a strong affinity with the club because I had some very exciting years with them back in the 1970s.

"I won the championship and went into Europe with them, and they are a Premiership team despite the fact that they are second from bottom of the table."

Rioch has been out of management since parting company in acrimonious circumstances with Wigan in February 2001 - when the Latics were in the top three of the Second Division.

During the last 11 months he has rejected overtures from several clubs but now he is refreshed and eager to return - and the prospect of returning to Derby excites him.

Rioch also believes his track-record of two promotions and a league cup final with Bolton and play-off campaigns with both Middlesbrough and Millwall speaks for itself.

"I'm in a good period in my life. I've got a lot of experience and a lot of knowledge which I think is going to be beneficial to players and other people at a football club," he said.

When you go into management you know the outcome - it is a result-orientated industry

Bruce Rioch

The former Scotland captain said he would not be daunted by the prospect of taking on a club so deep in relegation danger.

"Like six, seven or eight other clubs that are down the bottom with them, they are fighting for survival," Rioch said.

"And the team that can put together a series of good results in the 16 games left will be able to survive in that division. Survival is paramount.

"It's not a daunting task at all, it's one you would have to look forward to and relish because there's obviously a lot of work that has to be done because of their league position."

It would be ironic if Todd's old job went to Rioch.

It was Rioch who rescued his former Derby colleague from the wilderness and took him to Middlesbrough as his assistant in 1986.

Rioch and Todd together at Bolton in 1993

When Rioch left for Millwall in 1990 Todd took over the reigns at Ayresome Park.

The duo linked up again when Rioch took over at Bolton in 1992 and asked Todd to join him before the ex-England defender once again succeeded his friend when Rioch was handed the manager's job at Arsenal.

But Rioch hinted that he cannot afford to have too much sympathy for Todd now.

"When you go into management you know the outcome.

"It is a result-orientated industry and the threat of dropping out of the Premiership for any football club's chairman and directors is a big one and one that must be avoided," Rioch said.

One of Rioch's main rivals for the job could be Fabrizio Ravanelli, the Derby striker.

Both the League Managers Association and Rams midfielder Daryl Powell have insisted the Italian is not the right man for the job - but Rioch refused to comment on Ravanelli's credentials.

"It's not for me to say who they should take because I think that's a decision for the directors and the chairman of the football club," he said.