Everton have been urged to appoint either legend Wayne Rooney or Duncan Ferguson following Rafael Benitez's sacking.

The club are looking for their second manager of the season and talkSPORT understands that they have sounded out the possibility of a return for Roberto Martinez.

Benitez was sacked by Everton at the weekend

Rooney is currently managing Derby County in the Championship whilst Ferguson has had experience managing the Toffees in the past

After years of inconsistency with several managers coming in and out of the club, Everton are in desperate need for someone to steady the ship and to bring some much needed success.

One name who holds Everton dear to his heart is Rooney and speaking on talkSPORT's Boot Room show, host Darren Bent believes the club should target him as their next boss.

"For me, I'd go Wayne Rooney all day," the former Tottenham and England striker said.

"I know a lot of people have made the case about maybe a lack of experience, people keep trying to harp about to the [Frank] Lampard situation at Chelsea.

Rooney took permanent charge of Derby in January 2021 and took them from being glued to the bottom of the league to survival

"But you look at that guy [Rooney], and I feel bad saying it because I want Derby to do well and I want them to stay up and if he was to leave their football club, that's them automatically doomed.

"He's doing all this with smoke and mirrors, he's got no transfer budget, the administration have given him no help whatsoever.

"If you want that connection back, they had [Carlo] Ancelotti back, the superstar manager, it didn't work.

"They've had Rafa Benitez who has got pedigree, he's won some of the biggest trophies out there, that's not worked, it's only been 22 games.

Benitez's appointment was one that was highly unlikely to work given his history with rivals of the Toffees Liverpool

"If you want someone who loves the club, feels what the fans are feeling, is an Everton fan, he's been at the club before, he's on the rise, his stock is as high as it's ever been as a manager, I would go no further than Wayne Rooney, I really wouldn't."

Whilst Bent believes Rooney should be the man to be in the dugout at Goodison Park, the England legend may opt not to leave the Championship outfit now, and should that be the case, talkSPORT's football correspondent Alex Crook, revealed the other options the club have in place.

"The two names we are hearing at talkSPORT are that Duncan Ferguson which I think would be a very popular appointment even if just on an interim basis until the end of the season and Roberto Martinez, which would be a really interesting one given the nature of his departure from the club [was sacked in 2016] and also the fact that this is a World Cup year.

"Is Martinez going to jettison Belgium, one of the favourites when it comes to European nations to win the World Cup, to go back to Everton? That is a question maybe he will answer in the fullness of time."

Roberto Martinez's Belgium side are the No.1 ranked team in world football

Appointing Martinez or Rooney now may prove to be problematic for the Toffees given their current ties, but as Crook stated, Ferguson is being considered for the role until the end of the season and is one that club legend Peter Reid is supportive of.

"When Duncan came in before, he got a reaction from the supporters, a reaction from the players, if they haven't got one lined up [a manager], I don't see where they go," Reid told talkSPORT.

"I think they've got to give it to Duncan, I think that's a distinct possibility because he will get them on the front foot, I'm sure."