Mark Warburton preferred for Burnley technical director

Mark Warburton is the preferred candidate to become Burnley's new technical director, Sky Sports News understands.

The ex-Brentford, Rangers and Nottingham Forest boss is understood to be willing to return to a non-playing-staff role after four years as a manager.

But also in the frame at Turf Moor are former Fulham and Manchester City recruiter Mike Rigg and ex-West Brom technical director Nicky Hammond.

However, Warburton is believed to have his long-standing, close relationship with Clarets boss Sean Dyche in his favour, which stretches back to their time working together at Watford.

Warburton was once in contention to succeed Dyche at Burnley when he was linked with the Sunderland job in 2015, but Dyche stayed and Warburton took the helm at Ibrox.

The pair have known each other since 2007 when Warburton was Hornets academy manager and Dyche joined as coach, and they worked together during the managerial stints of Aidy Boothroyd and Brendan Rodgers.

Warburton left Vicarage Road in 2009 - two years before Dyche took over as Watford manager - and Warburton eventually became sporting director at Brentford in 2011.

He succeeded Uwe Rosler for his first managerial job in 2013 and promoted the Bees to the Championship in his first season, before leading the same team into the Championship play-offs a year later.

Both Warburton and Rigg are also understood to have applied to succeed Dan Ashworth as the FA's technical director, having both worked for the governing body in recent months.