Dave Jones in the frame for Aston Villa post

Ex-Wolves manager Dave Jones today emerged as a contender for the vacant Villa managerial post.

The Cardiff manager is among the names under consideration by Villa's hierarchy as they prepare to step up their search for a permanent replacement for Martin O'Neill next week.

Jones, who pulled off arguably the transfer of the summer in bringing Manchester City star Craig Bellamy back to his native Wales, was on the four-man shortlist for the West Ham job eventually filled by Avram Grant this summer.

He narrowly missed out on the top flight in May when his team suffered Championship play-off final heartbreak against Blackpool.

Villa are on the lookout for a safe pair of hands with Premier League experience and Jones would tick both boxes.

The 54-year-old, who steered Wolves to the Premier League for the first time in the club's history in 2003, has built up a creditable reputation in the game without ever landing one of the big glamour jobs.

And he would relish the opportunity to take charge of an established Premier League club of Villa's stature for the first time.

Prising Jones, who is on a one-year rolling deal at Cardiff, away from the Welsh capital would prove relatively easy for Villa with a compensation clause beneath his annual salary included in his contract.

A week ago caretaker boss MacDonald was the frontrunner but his chances of landing the job — should he confirm he wants to be considered — now look remote following disastrous defeats to Newcastle and Rapid Vienna in the last week.

MacDonald will again be in charge for tomorrow's game with Everton but the club are intend to use the forthcoming two-week international break so that they have the new man in place for their next game at Stoke a fortnight on Monday.

USA coach Bob Bradley is the bookmakers' favourite, while Sven-Goran Eriksson, Ottmar Hitzfeld and Jurgen Klinsmann are among the other frontrunners.

And former Benfica and PSV Eindhoven Ronald Koeman said: "In Holland we have always viewed Villa as an important club with a tradition of being powerful in Europe when I was younger, so I would be very interested in managing them if the job was offered."