Alan Pardew emerging as serious contender to take over at West Brom after Tony Pulis sacking

Alan Pardew is emerging as a serious contender to take over at West Bromwich Albion, after the sacking of Tony Pulis.

Pardew has been added to Albion's shortlist of targets and the club is expected to hold talks with the former Crystal Palace manager later this week.

The 56 year-old has been out of work since his dismissal from Palace last December but fits the criteria for West Brom as he has vast experience of the Premier League after spells with West Ham, Charlton Athletic and Newcastle.

Sam Allardyce is understood to be cool on the prospect of taking charge at the Hawthorns while club sources have dismissed any interest in Michael O'Neill, the Northern Ireland manager.

READ MORE: Who could replace Pulis at West Brom?

Pardew is now thought to be a strong candidate to replace Pulis, with West Brom likely to interview him in the next 48 hours. Nick Hammond, West Brom's technical director, worked with Pardew at Reading between 1999 and 2003.

Gary Megson, Pulis' former assistant, has been placed in caretaker charge and has distanced himself from the post, ahead of Saturday's game at Tottenham Hotspur.

He said: “I’m not daft enough to think I would be at West Brom without Tony Pulis.

“We’ve still got the sadness of Tony not being here, but the club has got to be kept going.

“I’ve taken 650 games, I’ve taken thousands of training sessions, they’ve decided that I take over for however long it’s going to be, be it 24 hours or more.”

Pulis, meanwhile, will be presented with an award by the League Managers' Association on December 7.

The LMA are honouring Pulis after he passed 1,000 games last season at an awards dinner in London. Peter Coates, the Stoke City chairman, is expected to attend as Pulis' guest.

Pulis was sacked by West Brom on Monday, six weeks short of his three-year anniversary.