FORMER Saints boss Alan Pardew can be backed as short as 6/1 to become the new manager of Middlesbrough.

With Gordon Strachan tearing up his contract and walking out of the Championship club, there is a vacancy at the Riverside Stadium.

Tony Mowbray is the favourite to succeed Strachan for the second time in his career, having been installed at Celtic after the man who guided Saints to the 2003 FA Cup Final parted company with the Glasgow side in 2009.

But Pardew has still attracted some interest from punters, now that he is free to look for work again after agreeing a settlement with Saints following his sacking at the end of August.

This afternoon, he could be backed anywhere between 6/1 and 20/1 for the Boro job.

But, having never worked north of London in his career as a player or manager, it would be quite a change for Pardew to move to Middlesbrough.