Italian cult hero Fabrizio Ravanelli has expressed an interest in making a surprise return to struggling Scottish Premiership side Dundee.

Paul Hartley was sacked by the club on Monday, with the club 11th in the table after a run of seven straight defeats.

Dundee were as high as sixth in the table less than two months ago, but their slide leaves them just five points off the bottom and has cost Hartley his job.

Hartley was sacked by Dundee on Monday (Getty)

And now Ravanelli – who had a brief six-game spell at the club as a player back in 2003 – has thrown his hat into the ring as a potential successor.

“I believe I can keep Dundee in the Premiership and I am very interested in this job,” he told The Sun.

“I can save the club from relegation. I could definitely get results and get the best out of the Dundee players."

The former Middlesbrough man is keen on a return to the UK (Getty)

Ravanelli does not possess a raft of managerial experience and has previously worked at only one senior side, AC Ajaccio in France.

But his time at the Corsican club quickly turned sour and he was sacked after just five months in charge of the club, having taken charge of 12 Ligue 1 games – winning one.

Things quickly went south for Ravanelli in Corsica (Getty)

Not that Ravanelli is deterred, with the 48-year-old identifying Dundee as the perfect club at which to reboot his managerial career.

“I am looking for a new project in management and this would be the perfect fresh start for me. I would bring energy, enthusiasm and motivation to the club," he added.