Former Bayer Leverkusen Women’s head coach Robert de Pauw has emerged as a candidate for the vacant Aston Villa job.

The Women’s Super League club have been without a manager since Carla Ward stepped down from her role at the end of the season.

Villa are believed to be in the advanced stages of appointing a new manager, and while Icelandic coach Elisabet Gunnarsdottir was previously on the shortlist it is believed she is no longer being considered.

Dutchman De Pauw, 42, spent two seasons at Leverkusen but left at the end of the 2023-24 campaign.

Bristol City head coach Lauren Smith, who oversaw their promotion to the WSL in 2023 and their relegation in 2024, was also believed to have been considered.

Villa were seventh in the WSL last season having finished in a club-record high of fifth place in 2022-23.