John Carver among candidates to apply for Aston Villa job

John Carver has thrown his name into the hat for the managerial vacancy at Aston Villa.

The former Newcastle United manager admitted to Sky Sports that he's applied to become Villa's next manager following Remi Garde's departure on Tuesday.

"I have had a long layoff, I am ready to go again. Aston Villa is a fantastic football club and I would say there will be at least 100 applications for this job," Carver said.

"Anyone who has got any ambition to be a manager or a coach at a club like Aston Villa will apply for it and I am no different. It is a football club that needs rebuilding and that's something that interests me, but obviously the people at the top will make the decisions."

Carver has been out of work since June when Newcastle cut ties with him despite his success in helping the Magpies avoid relegation on the final day of the 2014-15 campaign.

If hired, Carver likely won't be asked to do the same as the club appears destined to be relegated. The league's basement-dwellers currently sit 12 points from safety with just 16 points after 31 games.

"They are a huge football club and their fans are very similar to (Newcastle), they deserve success, they deserve to be in the Premier League, but it's a massive rebuilding job," he said.

Eric Black was named Villa's caretaker manager until a long-term replacement is found.