Michael Appleton open to an approach from West Brom

The 43-year-old, who was a former player and coach at The Hawthorns, would welcome an approach from the Baggies.

Appleton is currently out of work after leaving Leicester in June last year, and worked with Albion’s current technical director Luke Dowling at Blackburn Rovers.

He has also previously managed Portsmouth, Blackpool, and Oxford United, and has also taken caretaker charge of the Baggies and Leicester City.

“The reality is, I know a lot of people at West Brom, from the chief executive (Mark Jenkins) down to the people who work on a matchday,” Appleton told Sky Sports.

“They have all got my number, it has not changed in all that time, so we will watch this space really.”

Appleton isn’t the only former Baggies player who would be open to an approach.

Derek McInnes, who is currently Aberdeen manager, has a long-held ambition to return to The Hawthorns.

However, it’s believed the Baggies are targeting coaches currently without jobs in order to quicken up the process and limit the amount of compensation needed to be paid.

Albion are keen to have someone in place as soon as possible to have maximum impact on the remaining games of the season.

Despite being keen on the job, Appleton was surprised to see Moore sacked.

“You have only got to see what the likes of Stoke, who came down last year, (to see others) have found it difficult,” he said.

“It is not as easy as saying ‘we are going to finish in the top two and go straight back up’.

“Ultimately there is more than one way of getting promoted. Obviously you would like to finish in the top two and be part of the automatic promotion, but you do get a second chance and that’s the play-offs.

“Darren was probably looking at it thinking, ‘well, if we are not going to get in the top two, as long as secure a play off spot there is an opportunity to get promoted’.”

Appleton joined Albion as a player in 2001, but suffered a career-ending knee injury in 2003.

He stayed at the Baggies to coach and worked with the youth teams for several years before being made first team coach in 2009.

He oversaw one match as caretaker boss in 2011 after Roberto Di Matteo was sacked, a 3-3 draw with West Ham.

He was given his first managerial role by Portsmouth, followed by short stints at Blackpool and Blackburn before three years at Oxford.