Steve Bruce is reportedly targeting a quick return to management following his sacking from struggling Premier League side Sunderland.

Bruce is said to be keen to restore his managerial reputation after suffering a hard time at the Black Cats.

"Knowing Steve, he will want to bounce back immediately, he won't want to be out of the game for long, it's in his blood," ESPN quotes a source close to Bruce as saying. "Some managers want to take a year's sabbatical, but not Steve. He will need a few weeks to get the bitterness out of his system, but then he will be raring to go.

"When he reads just a day after being sacked that he has no idea of modern management techniques, that really hurt him.

"He has all sorts at his club, psychologists, Pro Zone data. Anything that managers use these days he has at the club."

Former Aston Villa and Celtic boss Martin O'Neill is currently favourite to replace Bruce.