Brendan Rodgers has described Derek McInnes as “the perfect fit” for the Sunderland job.

The Aberdeen manager has been linked this week with the post vacated by Davie Moyes and Rodgers has backed the Dons boss as an ideal candidate to fill the breach.

“I think he is perfect for it,” enthused Rodgers. “I seen that during the week and I think he is absolutely perfect for it. I thought to myself when I seen that, I thought, really, really good fit. Big club that has had a change and now needs someone who can go in there and who can organise, someone who has been at a big club and Derek has been at big clubs.

“He played at Rangers, he has been down in England so he understands it. He has been down in England and has had a difficult time so he gets that and he has done a great job with Aberdeen which is a big job and when I seen his name this week, I really thought that he would be perfect for it.

“He would go in, give them a bit of life, get them organised. He knows the game, he can engage with players, he can motivate players, and the Championship is a tough league. I got promoted there with Swansea and it is 46 games of graft and work and commitment. I think it would be brilliant for him if that is what he wanted to do and certainly a club of that magnitude – it is a big club, Sunderland – and for me he would be perfect.

“You have to consider it. He is in a really good place. He has built something up over the course of four years and has given Aberdeen great stability.

“He has brought in a group of players who have done very well. He may look at Sunderland as a possibility to get into the Premier League; maybe 50,000 supporters and a great stadium.”