Bristol Rovers have received a boost in their bid to keep manager Steve Evans, with Hibernian reportedly targeting Emerse Fae for their vacant managerial position. The development removes a potential threat to Evans' tenure at the Memorial Stadium as the Gas push for promotion from League Two.

Evans, who took charge in November last year, has overseen a strong start to the season. Bristol Rovers currently sit second in the table on 12 points after six games, level with leaders Barnet. Their recent form shows three wins, one draw and one defeat from the last five outings.

Hibernian sacked manager David Gray on Wednesday after a run of six consecutive home league defeats, a club record not seen since 1920. The Edinburgh side are now searching for a new boss and have been linked with the 42-year-old Fae, who left his role as Ivory Coast head coach at the end of July. Fae has been studying Hibernian's squad and playing style.

This focus on Fae is welcome news for Bristol Rovers, who were among the pre-season favourites for promotion. Evans, 63, has a superb record in the EFL, achieving five promotions with clubs including Boston United, Crawley Town, Rotherham United and Stevenage. He secured his latest promotion from League Two with Stevenage in the 2022/23 season.

Evans has previously expressed interest in managing in Scotland. In September 2015, he told reporters that a return to the Scottish Premiership would appeal to him. "I am a proud Scot and returning to manage in the Premiership is definitely something that would interest me," Evans said at the time. "There are a lot of good ambitious clubs in Scotland who are looking to progress and move forward."

Despite that past comment, Evans is now enjoying a fruitful spell in Bristol. The club are in their second successive season in League Two, their longest spell in the fourth tier for 12 years. The squad will look to bounce back from a 2-0 defeat at Grimsby last time out when they travel to face Gillingham this weekend.

Securing Evans' continued leadership is seen as vital for the club's promotion ambitions this season.

Further reading: footballleagueworld.co.uk