Leeds United all-time great Eddie Gray has urged the club to forget about Garry Monk and appoint a new manager quickly.
The Yorkshire giants announced Monk’s shock resignation on their official website on Thursday afternoon after he turned down the club’s offer of a 12-month contract.
The former Swansea boss quit because he felt “unconvinced” that the club wanted to keep him beyond 2018, according to Sky Sports reporter Richard Graves.
The 39-year-old manager had been a popular figure at the Elland Road club and fans were understandably distraught when the news he was leaving broke.
However, Whites legend Gray has urged his former club to move on and secure a new manager.
Speaking to the Yorkshire Evening Post, he said: “Like everybody else, I was a bit surprised but the club now have got to get something sorted out pretty quickly.
“You don’t want it to be dragging on and not getting anybody in and getting players in before they are ready to come back for pre-season.
“We will just have to wait and see but our club have got to think about themselves. Garry has gone now, that’s it. It’s in the past now.
“Garry has done an exceptionally good job at the club and you wish him well in whatever he does but we have got to think of Leeds United football club now and move on.
“The club have got think onwards and upwards – they have got to get on with it and the quicker we get on with it as a football club the better we are going to be.”
Gray made more than 450 league appearances for the Whites during his 19-year stint at the club, and he was part of two Division One winning sides.
ESPN FC reported on Friday that the club are preparing to hold talks with Ranieri about becoming their next boss, with owner Andrea Radrizzani reportedly keen on recruiting a high-profile, experienced manager.
The Elland Road faithful took to Twitter in their droves responding to the news, calling for their club to seal a deal for the former Leicester, Chelsea and Juventus chief.
Monk guided Leeds to a seventh place finish in the Championship this term, as a late season drop-off in form cost his side a place in the play-offs.