FORMER fan favourite Richard Cresswell has emerged as the odds-on favourite for the vacant York City job.

The Press believes it unlikely that the ex-Premier League star will become Sam Collins' successor but he has suddenly become a 4/5 market leader with bookmakers.

The Minstermen's managing director, Steve Kilmartin, when approached by The Press, said: "No comment."

The 41-year-old Cresswell is currently the head of academy coaching at Leeds United, one of the several clubs he represented as a player.

According to easyodds.com, former Bristol Rovers boss Darrell Clark and John Askey, the ex-Shrewsbury Town manager, are joint second favourites at 8-1. It has been reported elsewhere that Askey is not interested in the job.

Former Newcastle and Fulham midfielder and Huddersfield, Birmingham and Bury boss Lee Clark, along with ex-York full-back Darren Edmondson, a former Barrow boss and Bradford Park Avenue caretaker, are rated 12-1.

City started their search for a new manager on Saturday after axing Collins following defeat at Curzon Ashton which left them 15th in National League North.

Cresswell, whose professional playing career began and ended at Bootham Crescent, returned to York as a commercial, academy and community development consultant in April 2014, before being appointed head of football operations.

He was given the additional role of first-team coach under the then manager Russ Wilcox in March 2015 and took over as caretaker boss for one game in October that year - a 1-0 League Two defeat to Crawley Town - after Wilcox's sacking.

However, that December, six weeks after the appointment of Jackie McNamara as manager, he left his roles at City by mutual consent.

He came out of retirement to play one match for neighbouring Tadcaster Albion in 2016 and the following year joined the coaching structure at the Evo-Stik League outfit via his role with the Brewers' owners, i2i Sports.

He was appointed the head of academy coaching at Leeds, one of his former clubs, in April last year.

Bridlington-born Cresswell had begun his pro career with York in the 1990s after coming through the youth system at Bootham Crescent.

He joined Sheffield Wednesday, then of the Premier League, for £950,000 in March 1999 - the highest transfer fee ever received by the Minstermen.

He also played in the top flight with Leicester and had spells in the upper echelons of the Football League with Preston, Leeds, Stoke and Sheffield United before finishing his career with a short stint back at York in 2013, helping the club avoid relegation from League Two.

He hung up his boots due to eye and knee complaints.