Garry Monk is understood to be interested in the vacant Aston Villa job. The 37-year-old is looking to get back into management after being sacked by Swansea last December, and would not be fazed by the prospect of replacing Rémi Garde – who left Villa on Tuesday – despite the club’s likely relegation from the Premier League.

It is believed Monk would relish the chance to help Villa rebuild, having spent 11 years at Swansea and aided their long-term development after joining as a player when they were in League Two.

Villa are weighing up their next move as they search for their fourth manager in 13 months, with Eric Black placed in charge of the side for Saturday’s visit of Chelsea. The former Leicester manager Nigel Pearson and David Moyes, who was sacked by Real Sociedad last November, are also in the frame.

Villa are 12 points from safety with only seven games left and appear destined to drop out of the top flight for the first time since 1987.

The new board member David Bernstein, adviser Brian Little and the former Football Association executive Adrian Bevington are reportedly in charge of filling the managerial vacancy, with Villa understood to be looking at someone with Championship experience.

Monk has not managed in the Championship but knows the league having captained Swansea to promotion via the play-offs in 2011 after joining when they were in the fourth tier in 2004. He left the Liberty Stadium last December after 77 games in charge, with the club 15th in the table, following a run of one win in 11 matches.

Garde departed Villa by mutual consent on Tuesday and the Frenchman won only three of his 23 games in charge having succeeded Tim Sherwood in November. Sherwood’s final match was a 2-1 defeat by Monk’s Swansea side while Villa have not climbed off the bottom of the Premier League table since Garde was appointed.