Bookmakers have been quick to publish the early odds on who will be Carlisle United's next manager.

Some familiar faces are among the immediate favourites to replace Paul Simpson at the helm.

Former United favourites Peter Murphy and Danny Grainger are both 5/1 with Betano - as is Ryan Lowe, who recently left Preston North End.

Blues legend Murphy took charge of Queen of the South in the summer after seven years with Annan Athletic, while ex-Carlisle captain Danny Grainger is in the early stages of life as Morecambe's assistant manager having previously been boss at Workington Reds.

Lowe, meanwhile, recently left Preston by mutual consent after the first game of the Championship season.

Other leading contenders among the early odds include Gateshead boss Rob Elliot, who is 8/1 after guiding the north east club to the top of the National League.

The former Barrow manager Pete Wild is 12/1, as is the ex-Wigan Athletic and Rotherham United man Leam Richardson.

Leam Richardson is 12/1 in the early oddsLeam Richardson is 12/1 in the early odds (Image: PA)

The list of potential candidates then takes in a number of 16/1 shots including former Rochdale and Manchester City Under-21 boss Brian Barry-Murphy, as well as former Blackpool boss Michael Appleton, Altrincham's Phil Parkinson, current joint United caretaker Jamie Devitt, former Preston and Stoke City chief Alex Neil and former Millwall boss Gary Rowett.

Mark Hughes is 20/1 while another member of United's three-man caretaker team, Mark Birch is 25/1.

Former United manager Nigel Pearson is also 25/1 along with the likes of Dean Holden, Damien Duff, David Healy, Frank Lampard, Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and Gareth Ainsworth.

Simpson's reign came to an end on Saturday evening after United's 2-1 defeat to Tranmere Rovers.

Under-18s manager Birch, under-18s coach Devitt and academy manager Steven Rudd have been placed in caretaker charge as the process of finding a successor to Simpson gets under way at Brunton Park.