Rio Ferdinand thinks his former Manchester United team-mate Wayne Rooney would leave Derby County to take the vacant Everton job.
Rafael Benitez was axed by the Toffees on Sunday, bringing the curtain down on a torrid seven-month tenure.
The team have won just one of their last 13 Premier League games and are sat in 16th place in the Premier League table.
A number of names have been linked with the job including former manager Roberto Martinez and previous interim boss Duncan Ferguson, while Rooney has also been mentioned as a candidate given the stellar job he's done with the Rams.
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Derby were docked 21 points at the start of the campaign due to their financial issues and keeping them in the second tier looked to be impossible.
However, Rooney's side are now just eight points off safety in the Championship, having taken 13 points from their last five games.
While an affinity clearly has been built between the 36-year-old and the Derby supporters, Ferdinand thinks Rooney would jump at the chance to manage the Blues.
"In a heartbeat," Ferdinand said on his Vibe with Five YouTube show when asked if Rooney would want the Goodison post. "If he could have it his way I'm sure he'd say 'keep Big Dunc for the interim, let me finish unfinished business here, keep Derby up and I'll be there in the summer!'"
"Hugely unlikely [Everton would wait until the end of the season]. I don't think these people, the owners are going to wait. They've got a game at the weekend then it's a two-week break for internationals, which gives them ample amount of time to go and find the next candidate.
"You can see Rooney because he's at a boyhood club, Big Dunc is his mate. His idol growing up. The fans want someone who has been at the club, knows the fabric of the club."
Everton are next in action on Saturday lunchtime against Aston Villa, with former nemesis Steven Gerrard in the dugout and ex-left-back Lucas Digne set to start following his move from Goodison Park.
