Former Norwich City manager Alex Neil feels sure that Aberdeen boss Derek McInnes will take the Sunderland job if he is offered it, however cautioned that the post at the Stadium of Light is tough.
The Black Cats are looking for a new manager after David Moyes opted to leave following the club's relegation from the Premier League.
Moyes had been expected to stay to try to guide Sunderland back up from the Championship, but after talks with the club's hierarchy, he decided to leave.
Aberdeen boss McInnes is the bookmakers' favourite to succeed Moyes – and Neil thinks if the Black Cats do offer him the post then he will most certainly accept.
"I think if Derek gets offered the job then he will take it", Neil said on BT Sport Facebook Live.
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"I think he will look at it as a great opportunity for himself."
Neil though thinks that the Sunderland job is a difficult one, especially as the Black Cats will have a number of players on big wages that they are simply unable to move on.
"But it is a difficult job because an experienced manager like David Moyes has chosen to leave.
"The amount of money some of the players were going to be getting paid there for operating at the level you're going to be operating at then becomes part of the problem.
"The fact is you can't move some of these lads on, so you've got to try and get the best out of them.
"That can prove to be difficult at times", he added.
Sunderland earned just 24 points from their 38 Premier League games this term, finishing rock bottom.
McInnes led Aberdeen to a finish of second in the Scottish Premiership, along with to the final of both the Scottish Cup and the Scottish League Cup.
