Blackburn Rovers defender Craig Short today said Mark Hughes is the man the players want as the club's new manager.

And those thoughts have also been echoed by the fans after more than 60 per cent of those who called our special vote line yesterday also threw their weight behind the former Blackburn favourite.

Wales boss Hughes is the red hot favourite to replace Graeme Souness and Short insists his appointment would have the overwhelming backing of the dressing room.

'Sparky' was a huge favourite with fans and players alike during a successful 18 month spell at Rovers towards the end of his playing career.

Now Short reckons his former team-mate has all the right credentials to be a similar success with Blackburn as a manager.

And he's convinced that Hughes is the right man to take Rovers forward to the next level.

"I think Mark Hughes would be very, very good for Blackburn Rovers," said Short.

"He commands instant respect and he's the type of guy that all the players would want to give everything for.

"If I was a manager then the first I'd want to know is would my players be prepared to run through a brick wall for me and I think Sparky would get that here.

"He's the popular choice in the dressing room and I think the fans think the same way, too.

"I know players don't end up choosing managers but sometimes maybe they should.

"Players, and especially senior ones, have a good inkling as to who would make a good manager and I'm certain Mark would do a great job here."

Short knows all about Hughes's qualities after seeing them first hand when the pair were team-mates at Blackburn for the best part of two seasons.

And the veteran defender said he could see straight away that Hughes was cut out for a bright future in the game as a top-flight manager.

In those days, Hughes was splitting his time between playing for Rovers and managing Wales.

Now the feeling is Hughes is ready to swap international management for a crack at the Premiership and Rovers could give him that platform.

"People say he hasn't done it in club football but he's working with high profile players at international level so I don't see that as a problem," said Short.

"Mark always struck me as a forward thinker when he was here.

"On the pitch he was an aggressive player but off it he was always talking football and coming up with ideas.

"He's the type who's always willing to learn, he's played under some great managers and you can't help but pick things up from them.

"He's more of a thinker than a shouter and bawler.

"He got instant respect when he first came here because he was one of the biggest names of the 80s and 90s.

"But he never tried to ram his opinions down everyones' throats.

"He respected the fact the manager was in charge and he didn't try to take over.

"When it came to team meetings, he'd just say his point and that was it."

Hughes's ability to inspire those around him paid handsome dividends from the moment Souness first brought him to Ewood as a player in October 2000.

After scoring twice on his debut against Tranmere, he then helped to galvanise the dressing room as Rovers embarked on a run which ended in automatic promotion back to the Premiership.

The following season, Hughes was equally influential in helping the club to their first major knockout trophy in 74 years, pushing Brad Friedel close for the man of the match award in the Worthington Cup final triumph over Tottenham Hotspur at the Millennium Stadium.

Now just a handful of that squad still remain at Rovers but Hughes' standing in the game is such that even those who have never played alongside him would still respect him on reputation alone.

A return to Rovers may well appeal to Hughes, who still lives just an hour's drive from the club's Brockhall training ground.

He also has the added advantage of knowing the club inside out following his time here in the past.

Rovers' chief executive John Williams refused to confirm or deny whether Hughes was a leading candidate to succeed Souness last night.

But my understanding is he's one of the leading contenders in the frame and Wales's 2-2 draw with Northern Ireland last night - a result which jeopardises their chances of qualifying for the World Cup finals - has only heightened the speculation linking Hughes with the vacancy.

All Williams would say is: "A number of high quality candidates have thrown their hats into the ring and we are now in a position to draw up a shortlist with a view to making an early appointment if possible."