Gillingham boss Steve Evans has been installed as the early favourite with the bookies to be the next manager at Stevenage.

Evans has come in as 5/4 with bookmaker Bet Victor and 4/1 favourite elsewhere despite managing a Gills team who play a division higher. It's been reported nationally that Stevenage have approached the Gills for permission to talk to their manager.

Stevenage sit 21st in League 2, two points off the relegation places, and are looking for a new manager after Alex Revell left the club following a run of poor results.

Gills boss Evans is in the third and final year of his current deal at Priestfield, with the club knocking on the play-off door in his first two seasons.

Injury problems have hampered his hopes of making a challenge once again this term and the club are just two points off the drop zone after playing 17 games so far this season.

They are currently four unbeaten, however, taking a point off Sheffield Wednesday in their last match.

It’s not the first time Evans has been linked with clubs elsewhere - he was favourite to take over at Doncaster just weeks after being installed as Gills boss - and has previously admitted there had been interest from elsewhere in his services.

And this evening, chief Football writer at the Times, Henry Winter, has tweeted to say Stevenage have requested permission to speak to Mr Evans.

Evans has a decent track record of success, none more so than at former club Rotherham United, who he took from League 2 to the Championship having previously led Crawley Town to the Conference title.

He went onto manage Leeds United in the Championship, taking over a club one point off the relegation zone and taking them to a comfortable mid-table position by the end of the season.

A brief spell at Peterborough ended with the sack despite being sixth in the table and a couple of top-10 finishes with Gillingham in the last two seasons can also be classed as a success, following a number of seasons fighting off relegation before his appointment.

He also has four title successes on his CV from his non-league years at Stamford and Boston United.

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