Former Port Vale and Leicester City manager Micky Adams has been heavily backed to become the new Leyton Orient manager

The 52-year-old was available at 20/1 with most bookmakers this morning, but he is now as short as even money to take over at Brisbane Road.

Adams won promotion to League One with Port Vale back in 2013, and guided them to a fine ninth-place finish last season.

However, six straight defeats at the start this term piled the pressure on Adams, and he subsequently resigned following a 3-0 defeat to current league leaders Bristol City.

Jimmy Floyd-Hasselbaink was in attendance at Saturday’s 3-2 defeat at the hands of Rochdale, and it is thought the former Chelsea striker is keen on getting into management in England had applied for the position at former club Leeds United.

Marc Bircham, currently the assistant manager at Championship side Millwall, is another to be linked with the O’s having accompanied sporting director Mauro Milanese, a former QPR team-mate, to a couple of games.

Kevin Nugent, the current caretaker manager, has seen his chances of taking the job permanently fade following Saturday’s loss and is now 10/1 having been the early favourite, but at the time was ‘excited’ by the possibility of becoming the new boss following the departure of Cardiff City bound Russell Slade.

“I’ve worked here a long time and I’ve done youth team, scouting, allsorts,” said Nugent.

“They will probably change the role here to head coach. It is something that will certainly excite me but we’ll have to wait and see.”

Other managers to be linked with the job include Gary Johnson and his son Lee, who currently manage at fellow League One sides Yeovil Town and Oldham Athletic respectively, and ex-Millwall boss Steve Lomas.