There will soon be a vacancy in the sporting world for a role that will be simultaneously the easiest and the hardest job in football - replacing Sir Alex Ferguson as manager of Manchester United.

In recent interviews, Fergie has hinted that next season may well be his last. Ideally, the club would love to appoint someone who already had a strong connection with United - and, thanks to Fergie's exceptional tutelage over the years, there are a number of highly promising candidates just waiting to step into his shoes as the lord of the manor.

So I'm taking a look at the new kids on the block who have served their time under Fergie as players and are now plying their trade as managers in the Premier League, assessing their chances of following in his footsteps at Old Trafford.

Steve Bruce: After stints with Sheffield United, Huddersfield, Wigan and Crystal Palace, Bruce's managerial career took off with Birmingham City. He twice won promotion with the Blues and had some creditable mid-table finishes in the Premier League. He left the club last season to go back to Wigan, who were at that time below them in the table. It is no coincidence that Birmingham ended up being relegated while Wigan surged up the table to safety.

Bruce is slowly building a solid reputation, but being relegated with Birmingham after consolidating with three seasons in the Premier League damaged his standing somewhat. His best finish in the league is an admirable 10th place with an unfashionable club, but that falls just short of making him really stand out. Will always be loved at Old Trafford for what he did as a player, but seems to lack that fierce edge and steely determination which Ferguson possesses. Chance of succeeding Fergie - 5/10

Roy Keane: Has a very short managerial track record but, given what he has achieved, that shouldn't be held against him. Took over at Sunderland with the club in the bottom three and won the division to gain promotion to the Premier League at his first attempt. His main aim last season was to stay up - which he also achieved.

Was an inspirational player under Sir Alex at Old Trafford and is proving to be the same now he's on the other side of the touchline. Shares Fergie's mean streak and won't settle for less than 110 per cent from his players. Almost seems destined to one day take over at United one day but, even though he should have another couple of seasons to build his reputation before Fergie calls it a day, I think it's still a bit too early for the Irishman to get the biggest job in the game. Chance of succeeding Fergie - 4/10

Paul Ince: Another promising young boss who has had a very short career in management to date. The former United midfielder started at Swindon Town before taking on the thankless task of saving Macclesfield from relegation. They were seven points adrift at the bottom of League Two when Ince took charge at the end of October 2006, and a great run saw them stay up on the last day of the season. He then won promotion with MK Dons, winning the division at the first attempt, and picked up the Football League Trophy on the way.

Now at Blackburn Rovers, Ince has made a habit of breaking new ground. He became the first black player to captain England and is now the first black British manager in top-flight history. He's a born winner and seems to have the knack of motivating players to get the best out of them. However, Manchester United will demand someone with a lot more experience to take the hotseat after Fergie and, unless he does staggering things over the next couple of years, this should rule out Ince for the time being. Chance of succeeding Fergie - 2/10

Mark Hughes: Sparky leads the way in experience, making his managerial debut in 1999 for the Welsh national team. Wales were struggling when he took charge but came within one game of qualifying for Euro 2004, ultimately losing out to Russia in a play-off. Hughes repeated his success when taking over at Blackburn in 2004. He kept them up in his first season, then led them to an incredible sixth-place finish in his second to guarantee European football. There followed two more top-10 finishes before he moved on to Manchester City this summer.

His big edge over the other candidates is that he has vital European experience with Rovers. Even being in charge of rivals City won't make the United fans think any less of Hughes, who is a legend at the club. He took Blackburn as far as he possibly could with consistent top-half finishes - but now comes the big test.

The next two years will show what Hughes is really made of as City's new owners will demand success quickly. For the first time he'll be able to do what he likes in the transfer market - something which, if successful, will stand him in good stead at Old Trafford. He'll be dealing with huge names and, in some cases, huge egos. All in all, if Hughes can prove himself over the next couple of years, he'll be top of the list when it comes to choosing Fergie's successor. Chance of succeeding Fergie - 8/10