Five-time title-winning ex-Leeds United, Sunderland and Preston striker 'in running' for League Two roles

Former Leeds United striker David Healy could soon be appointed as a League Two manager with reports suggesting he is on the radars of both Cheltenham Town and Morecambe.

Healy has enjoyed an excellent formative period in management, having taken charge at Linfield in his native Northern Ireland back in 2015. The 44-year-old has won an impressive five NIFL Premiership titles in nine years as well as multiple League Cups and Irish Cups.

As well as earning Healy the Northern Ireland Manager of the Year award four years in a row between 2019 and 2022, that incredible run of success has caught the eye of several clubs over the years. And now the former striker could be on his way back to England, with Football Insider reporting that Cheltenham and Morecambe could pursue an appointment.

Cheltenham were relegated from League One this season after finishing in the bottom four, a spot they occupied since August after failing to score a single goal in their first 11 games. Manager Darrell Clarke has since left after being contacted to take over at League One outfit Barnsley.

Morecambe finished 15th in League Two but lost their boss, Ged Brannan, before the campaign finished. The club has faced criticism amid unpaid wages this season and has been up for sale for almost two years, with supporters and directors recently calling for owner Jason Whittingham to accept and offer and avoid a ‘catastrophic outcome’.

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Both clubs are now thought to be eyeing a potential move for Healy in the hope he can recreate success enjoyed at Linfield. But any experience of the English Football League will only come from the striker’s playing days - albeit he does have plenty.

Healy spent three years at Leeds, having joined them from Preston North End - where he had spent six seasons - in the first summer after relegation from the Premier League in 2004. The Northern Ireland international cost just £650,000 and went on to finish as the club’s top-scorer, either out on his own or level with a teammate, in each of his three Championship campaigns before United were relegated again in 2007.

Leeds got around £1.5million from Fulham for Healy that summer as the striker enjoyed three years of Premier League football - one at Craven Cottage and two more with Sunderland. The much-travelled striker began his career at Manchester United but only made three senior appearances under Sir Alex Ferguson.

He also played for the likes of Norwich City, Ipswich Town, Doncaster Rovers, Rangers and Bury, playing 428 games at club level. The striker remains Northern Ireland’s all-time record goalscorer, with 36 in 95 appearances.