Stiliyan Petrov made 185 Premier League appearances for Aston Villa

Former Aston Villa midfielder Stiliyan Petrov has applied for the vacant manger's role at his old club, Sky Sports News understands.

Sky understands Petrov has added his name to the list of people looking to take over after Steve Bruce was sacked last week for a poor start to the season with the Midlands club currently sitting 15th in the Sky Bet Championship.

Petrov has previously worked alongside Gordan Cowans in Villa's U23 set-up before progressing to help coach the first team during their pre-season tour of Austria in 2016.

The 39-year-old is currently in the process of completing his coaching badges and his UEFA A license.

The licence is one level below the UEFA Pro Licence and allows holders to be head coaches of youth teams up to age 18, reserve teams for top-flight clubs, and men's professional second-tier clubs.

1:12 Highlights of the Sky Bet Championship match between Millwall and Aston Villa Highlights of the Sky Bet Championship match between Millwall and Aston Villa

Petrov joined Aston Villa in the Premier League in 2006 after seven successful years at Celtic.

He became the club's captain in 2009, leading them to a sixth-placed finish in the Premier League, the semi-finals of the FA Cup and the final of the League Cup in his first season holding the armband.

In 2013, after 185 Premier League appearances and nine goals for the club, Petrov retired from the game at the age of 33, a year after being diagnosed with acute leukaemia.

Many names are currently in the mix to take over Bruce's role, including former Villa striker Dwight Yorke, while Frenchman Thierry Henry remains favourite and Celtic boss Brendan Rogers is also on the shortlist.

Sky Sports News believes John Terry is under consideration to join Aston Villa's coaching staff as a number two, but any possible appointment remains dependent on the identity of their new boss.