Former Republic of Ireland boss Mick McCarthy is set for a quick return to management with Cardiff City expected to appoint him as their new manager.

The Championship club sacked Neil Harris on Thursday following a sixth consecutive defeat on Wednesday night.

McCarthy was sacked as manager of Cypriot club APOEL Nicosia earlier this month, having only taken over in November.

But the former Ipswich Town boss is now odds on favourite to become the next manager of the Welsh club, who are currently 15th in the Championship.

Cardiff reached the playoffs last season but the 1-0 defeat to QPR this week was their seventh loss in their last eight league games, which led to the decision to get rid of Harris and his assistant David Livermore.

McCarthy is no stranger to the Championship and has won promotion to the Premier League with Sunderland and Wolves.

The 61-year-old also took charge of Ipswich between 2012 and 2018 and got them to the playoffs.

McCarthy has been linked with several jobs since his second reign as Republic of Ireland boss ended prematurely in 2020 due to the pandemic.

The deal is expected to be completed in a matter of days with Cardiff 13 points off the playoff places after 24 games of the season.