GARY MILLS is the new favourite for the Wrexham FC manager's job as the race for the Racecourse vacancy nears the finishing line. 

The Gateshead boss is now as short as 1/8 with bookmakers to take the Racecourse hotseat.

BetVictor yesterday said the move for Mills was seemingly a ‘done deal’ after punters latched onto the news that the 53-year-old was the man the Wrexham board want.

Mills was in the dugout on Saturday as Gateshead’s play-off hopes were finally ended with a 4-2 loss at home to Forest Green which leaves them 10th, four points better off than the Reds.

TNS manager Craig Harrison had been the odds-on favourite for the vacancy but the board may favour someone with experience of Conference Premier football.

“Foiled gambles on Barry Horne and Craig Harrison saw both supported into favouritism for the vacant post at the Racecourse,” a BetVictor spokesman said.

“However, punters seem to have got it third time lucky with Gary Mills backed into 1/4 on Friday and now the 1/8 favourite, and it’s seemingly now a done deal.”

Harrison remains 8/1 second favourite while Paul Cox is now out to 14/1.

And reports linking Mills with the job were backed up by comments from Wrexham’s chief executive Don Bircham.

He revealed “one or two” late applicants are in the running for the vacant Wrexham manager’s position.

The closing date for the job was the Easter weekend and the club’s board formed a shortlist of around eight candidates who have now all been interviewed.

“We have sorted the initial group and we are considering those very carefully,” said Bircham. “We are doing some due diligence on one or two of those individuals, getting some details behind the scenes if you like.

“We have had one or two late entries which we haven’t seen yet, we are just considering those.

“It is a little bit unfair that they have applied a little bit late but the most important thing is finding the right man for the job so they’ll come into contention and we will look at them if we can.”