Michael Dawson has stated that Robbie Keane would be his choice for the job if Tottenham Hotspur choose to bring in a permanent head coach straight away following the dismissal of Thomas Frank.

The 52-year-old was sacked by the Lilywhites on Wednesday morning after a dismal run of form which saw Spurs fail to achieve a single win in eight Premier League matches. The writing appeared to be on the wall for Frank in the aftermath of a crushing 2-1 loss to Newcastle United on Tuesday evening, as a chorus of boos rang out around the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

While Frank remained optimistic that he would still have a job by the time next Sunday's North London Derby rolls around, the club had other plans for the head coach of just eight months. An official statement announcing his departure read: "The club has taken the decision to make a change in the men's head coach position and Thomas Frank will leave today.

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"Thomas was appointed in June 2025, and we have been determined to give him the time and support needed to build for the future together. However, results and performances have led the Board to conclude that a change at this point in the season is necessary.

"Throughout his time at the club, Thomas has conducted himself with unwavering commitment - giving everything in his efforts to move the club forward. We would like to thank him for his contribution and wish him every success in the future."

As a result, a number of names have been linked with the now-vacant Tottenham hotseat, with Roberto De Zerbi, Mauricio Pochettino and Oliver Glasner seeing their names brought up in speculation.

However, Spurs could alternatively opt to follow in Manchester United's footsteps and bring in an interim head coach until season's end before assessing their options this summer. Should the latter transpire, club legend Dawson says it's crystal clear on who will be next to take up a permanent role with the Lilywhites.

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Speaking on Sky Sports News, the former centre-half said: "They've got a huge decision to make. I hear everyone talking about an interim - we don't know.

"We don't know if it's going to be an interim. If that happens, I think there's only one manager they're waiting for and it has to be Pochettino in the summer."

However, if they opt to go for a permanent replacement straight away, the former Spurs defender says there's Robbie Keane should be under consideration to take the job.

He added: "Or do they go and get someone now, and people are saying; 'Well, who will that be?' For me, there's someone there in the making, someone who knows the football club, someone who's got the passion, played for the club, loves it, will galvanise everyone and bring them in the right direction moving forward and that's Robbie Keane for me."

Dawson did, however, note that there it's unlikely Keane would head back to north London on an interim basis, given he is currently seeing success in Hungary. He added: "I can't imagine that, leaving Ferencvaros.

"Joint-top of the league, in the knockout stages for the Europa League, so you think - I don't know too many managers who would leave when they've got a contract there to go for an interim.

"But why not give it him on a permanent basis? They've tried Jose, they've tried [Antonio] Conte, they've tried Thomas Frank."

A Tottenham legend who knows the club inside and out, Keane scored 122 goals in 306 appearances across two stints with Spurs before moving into the world of management in 2018. In his budding coaching career so far, the Irishman has enjoyed a player-manager role with ATK, assistant duties with the Republic of Ireland, Middlesbrough and Leeds United, and head coaching jobs with Maccabi Tel Aviv and Ferencvaros.

Given that Ferencvaros are currently top of the Nemzeti Bajnokság I standings, it remains to be seen whether he would consider ditching his current club to help pull Spurs out of a relegation battle. Meanwhile, the club already have John Heitinga at their disposal, who could fill the void for the remainder of the season having worked as an assistant to Frank since January.

Keep up to date with our next Tottenham Hotspur head coach blog here.

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