Burnley have confirmed the sacking of Nicky Hayen following the Clarets’ humiliating 4-1 away defeat to Lincoln City on Saturday, with former Middlesbrough and Wolverhampton Wanderers manager Rob Edwards emerging as the frontrunner to take over at Turf Moor.

According to Alan Nixon on Patreon, Welsh head coach Edwards is the clear frontrunner to succeed Hayen in Lancashire after the Belgian’s dismissal.

Hayen won just one of his 12 Championship games in charge, and Burnley is in the bottom three more than a quarter of the way through the season, as the Clarets look for a hero to get them out of this mess, with Edward the favourite.

Rob Edwards, the former Wolverhampton Wanderers manager, has emerged as the clear choice for the Burnley post following Nicky Hayen’s dismissal.

Edwards, 43, began his managerial career with Wolves’ development teams before moving on to Telford United, England’s men’s Under-16s, Forest Green Rovers, Watford, Luton Town, and Middlesbrough before most recently returning to the Old Gold main team.

The former defender lead Luton to a historic promotion to the Premier League via the play-offs in 2023, defeating Mark Robins’ Coventry City side on penalties in the final at Wembley Stadium, which remains his most notable success to date.

According to Nixon, Burnley is unlikely to pay any compensation to entice a manager from elsewhere at this time, considering their current circumstances, and Edwards’ availability makes him an appealing choice.

Alan Pace, the under-fire owner, will be working around the clock to ensure that this next appointment is the right one, since Edwards appears to be the person to succeed Hayen at Turf Moor.

Rob Edwards has been out of work since his expulsion by Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Edwards has been out of job since his dismissal from Wolves in June, after learning of the Black Country club’s decision to replace him with Cesar Peixoto from a family member on social media; his departure was subsequently confirmed by phone call, according to Pete O’Rourke.

Having left Middlesbrough in November 2025, despite Wolves’ relegation from the Premier League, it was widely believed that he would lead his former club back into the second division, as his departure stunned many.

Edwards has been out of work since, and it appears that he is waiting for the ideal opportunity to emerge before returning to work, however whether the Burnley role will be enough to bring him back into the workforce is unknown.

Burnley must get the next appointment spot on amid Rob Edwards update

With only one win in their first 12 games, Burnley must rediscover some form soon; else, they risk following in the footsteps of Sunderland, Luton, and Leicester City, who have already suffered double relegation from the Premier League to League One.

After being promoted rather comfortably the last three times they were in the second tier, the club finds itself in a unique and unprecedented situation, as owner Pace must ensure that whoever he hires next leads them away from danger.

Edwards currently appears to be the leader, and if he wants the position, he will most certainly get it. However, there is no guaranty he will accept the post at this time, as Burnley must ensure they have a list of potential candidates ready in case of refusal.