However it seems that neither the Everton Under-23s coach nor Heckingbottom will succeed Simon Grayson at Bradford City.
The Daily Mail reports that Everton Under-23s manager David Unsworth is among those to have been approached over the Bradford City vacancy, which is understood to have been turned down by sacked Leeds United boss Paul Heckingbottom and several others.
Unsworth, who had a spell in caretaker charge of Everton last year, was linked with the role when it last became available in February.
And the Bantams are said to have made contact with the 44-year-old, along with out of work quartet Robbie Stockdale, Ben Garner, Mark Warburton and Heckingbottom – while the newspaper adds that Chelsea turned down a move for their Under-23s coach Joe Edwards.
Former Bradford left-back Heckingbottom was put out of his misery by the League One side’s Yorkshire rivals Leeds on Friday, while Stockdale, Garner and Warburton each left their respective posts – at Sunderland, West Bromwich Albion and Nottingham Forest – within the past seven months.
However, the Daily Mail reports that the Bantams’ search has now returned to square one, citing owner Edin Rahic’s attempts to control player recruitment as a contributing factor.
Rahic is now claimed to be considering alternatives overseas.