Sunderland are still searching for a new manager to replace Tony Mowbray following his dismissal on Monday night.
Despite having an unsavoury end to his time at Sunderland, the 60-year-old overachieved across his 15 months on Wearside by guiding his team into the Championship play-offs last term.
Kyril Louis-Dreyfus and Kristjaan Speakman have now drafted up a shortlist of potential candidates, some that supporters will be familiar with, while others are relatively unknown.
Of course, the likes of Kieran McKenna and Will Still are known for their growing success with Ipswich Town and Reims respectively, however, Kim Hellberg is a name that will be unfamiliar to many.
With a busy fixture to come over the festive period as the Black Cats embark on seven games in less than a month, it’s imperative that Sunderland get their appointment correct.
With that said, here’s everything you need to know about Kim Hellberg…
Who is Kim Hellberg?
Born in Norrkoping, Hellberg remarkably began his coaching career at the age of 23 when he won Division 5 with Kimstad GoLF.
He then embarked on managerial spells at Kuddby IF, IF Sylvia, IFK Norrkoping and is currently managing the Swedish first-division side, IFK Varnamo.
With his stock rising in his native Sweden, Hellberg was expected to take over at Hammarby, who have been without a coach since Marti Cifuentes departed for QPR.
The 35-year-old guided Varnamo to a fifth-place finish this year, but upon the conclusion of the Allsvenskan season in November, he revealed that he would be moving on following the expiration of his contract.
He said: “Now we have finished playing and there are many indications that someone else will be in charge of IFK Värnamo next year.
“We have always had an open dialogue and it is also about giving Värnamo time to find out who their coach will be. We focused on getting fifth place and we achieved that.
After achieving the goal he set out, his next move could see him take the reins at Sunderland.
What would Hellberg bring to Sunderland?
A young, exciting and progressive coach, Hellberg would bring a possession-based style to the Stadium of Light.
The Swede’s favoured formation is a 4-3-3 and similarly to Leicester City, the back four he deploys often shifts to a three in possession with his full-backs moving into central areas.
Similarly to how Mowbray set his side up, Hellberg likes to play with two advanced midfielders, the striker dropping deeper and the wingers utilising the full width of the pitch.
That will be music to the ears of Jack Clarke and Patrick Roberts, who thrive from hugging the touchline and driving at their opponents.
Hellberg’s system is built on the foundations of controlled possession and high intensity, so Sunderland supporters would be a threat to fast-paced, attacking football if he is the man to take over.