Independent - Two of Alex Ferguson's former assistants, Carlos Queiroz and Rene Meulensteen, have become the latest applicants to express an interest in the Irish managerial job.

Both men have alerted the FAI – via intermediaries – that they would like to be considered for the post created by Giovanni Trapattoni's dismissal last month.

They join a growing list of credible candidates and will be contacted by the FAI's two kingmakers, Ruud Dokter and Ray Houghton, later this month for formal interviews.

Houghton and Dokter began their interview process this week. With a lengthy list to get through – former Russian and Dutch manager Dick Advocaat, former Italian goalkeeper Walter Zenga and one-time Valencia boss Hector Cuper are all on it – the succession race will, as ever with the FAI, take time.

However, the association have made it clear that they want the issue wrapped up by the end this month.

By then, a call to Guus Hiddink – who worked miracles with similarly ranked international sides in South Korea and Australia – will have been made.

While the FAI recognise that securing Hiddink is a long shot, they are prepared to take a punt and hear what his thoughts on the position are.

Yet for all the foreign interest, the favourites for the job remain three Irishmen – Martin O'Neill, Chris Hughton and Mick McCarthy.

All three carry support among the FAI board, who discussed the issue formally 12 days ago and provided Houghton and Dokter with a clear remit – namely to appoint an experienced manager who will not bring controversy to the association. Given that job spec, the possibility of Roy Keane getting the job took a hit.

At best, Keane is an outsider, with O'Neill, Hughton and McCarthy the front-runners and Hiddink the dark horse.

Queiroz, though, is an intriguing candidate. Having worked as Ferguson's No 2 from 2002-03, he then became Real Madrid manager for a year before returning to Old Trafford and enjoying subsequent jobs with Portugal and his current employers Iran.

Meulensteen, meanwhile, is a free agent after his short, unhappy spell with the big-spending Russian side Anzhi Makhachkala, came to an end earlier this year.

He spent two periods at Old Trafford, graduating from the youths to the reserves in his first spell before returning in 2007 to be Ferguson's sidekick.