EFL club casting eyes over West Ham coach for managerial vacancy | OneFootball

Struggling League Two outfit Crawley Town have placed experienced West Ham United coach Kevin Keen on their hit-list to become their next manager, according to a report from The Sun.

The Red Devils parted company with Kevin Betsy in early October after just four months in the dugout at the Broadfield Stadium, with the former EFL midfielder leaving them bottom of the table.

Ex-Crawley player Lewis Young has been in caretaker charge since Betsy’s departure and they have been in fine form, winning four of the five matches that the 33-year-old has been manager for.

However, the club’s owners WAGMI United are casting their eyes over external candidates as well, with Keen emerging as a top contender.

12 quiz questions about Crawley Town legends – Can you score full marks?

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True or false: John Maggs made over 300 appearances for Crawley Town!

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The 55-year-old, who spent the majority of his playing days at West Ham and Stoke City, only has one stint in his off-field career as a manager, which came between 2015 and 2016 as Colchester United manager.

Keen has also had three stints as caretaker boss at the Hammers and was their reserves manager and then first-team assistant in the early stages of the 21st century.

He has also been an assistant at Liverpool, Reading, Crystal Palace and Southend United, but his current role is as manager of West Ham’s under-18’s.

It appears that the Crawley hierarchy are keeping their options very much open in regards to their next permanent head coach.

Whilst Lewis Young is clearly impressing with his results, it may be a risk in the long-term going for someone so inexperienced, despite the fact he ‘gets’ the club.

Someone like Keen wouldn’t be the worst option in the world – he has lots of experience of being an assistant in his career and is clearly very highly-rated at West Ham to be in charge of their youth.

Perhaps a duo of Keen and Young with the latter learning things off the former before he’s ready to step into the role long-term could work, but if the good League Two results continue, then the current owners of Crawley may have no choice but to hand the job to Young.