Gary Brabin and Conference title-winning captain Paul Carden want to take over as Chester FC's new managerial duo.

Brabin and Carden played together for Chester City in 2001-02 and have remained close, with Carden acting as assistant manager to Brabin at Cambridge United and Luton Town.

Popular with Blues fans and boasting bags of Conference experience, the pair - who both captained Chester City - would appear to be ideal replacements for Neil Young, who parted company with the club yesterday.

"It's definitely a job I am interested in finding out more about," said 43-year-old Brabin, who briefly managed Southport before Cambridge snapped him up.

"Obviously playing for the club and being an out of work manager means I am interested but it's not about that because I have been quite selecting about the jobs I have looked at."

Despite playing only 16 games, Brabin was named as the Blues' player of the season for 2001-02 but left the club after he was unable to agree a new deal

Carden made 155 appearances during two spells with Chester City, lifting the Conference title in 2003-04 and being named player of the season the following year.

Brabin confirmed he would be putting his name forward to replace Young before the application deadline at 3pm on Saturday.

He has already spoken with Carden and, if his application is successful, plans to make the 34-year-old his second in command.

"Paul is a close friend and we are in contact every day," said Brabin.

"If I got the job and if the budget allowed then he would be my first signing."

A former nightclub bouncer with a habit of upsetting referees, Brabin was something of a cult hero with Blues' fans as a player and said he had a great deal of affection for the club.

"I'm very fond of the place and I remember when a went there it was a great club with a great fan base but they were having a bit of a bad time," he said.

"I went in and was made captain and we went on a great run and we ended staying up quite convincingly."

Brabin has been out of the dugout since he was sacked by Luton in April 2012 after a poor run of form.

He said he was now ready to get back into management and believes he can steer the relegation-threatened Blues to safety.

"I've been watching a lot of football, I've finished my UEFA Pro Licence, I've been abroad and I've been doing some media work so I have been keeping busy but I miss the day-to-day involvement," he said.

"I don't think anyone is going to be under any illusions but I have never had a relegation on my CV and I don't want one now so I wouldn't put myself in the position if I didn't think that I could get them out of this."