BLACKBURN Rovers chairman John Williams will make a special trip abroad today to interview a mystery candidate as part of his on-going search for a new manager.

After holding talks with the former England manager Steve McClaren yesterday, Williams is due to meet up with another candidate on the club's shortlist at a secret destination in Europe at some point today.

Rovers are refusing to give any clues in regard to the identity of the mystery target, but the Lancashire Telegraph understands it could be the Dutchman Henk Ten Cate, who was the right-hand man to Avram Grant before both were sacked by Chelsea.

Williams is determined to be as thorough as possible in his search to find a successor to Mark Hughes, and plans to interview all of the candidates on the club's shortlist.

Yesterday, McClaren got his chance to pitch for the job when he broke off from working at the European Championships and flew into Manchester for a face-to-face meeting with the Rovers chairman.

McClaren apparently felt the talks went well, but he knows the club also intend to speak to at least one more person before making a final decision, which could result in him missing out.

The former Bolton manager, Sam Allardyce, and the current MK Dons boss, Paul Ince, are still in the frame for the job too, and an appointment could be made by the end of the week.

Whatever happens over the next few days, Williams insists the board must resist the temptation to be swayed by popular opinion and focus on the task of picking who they consider to be the best man for the job.

"This is a responsibility we can't abdicate," said the Rovers chairman, speaking exclusively to the Lancashire Telegraph.

"It has to be the board's decision and we have to go with what we feel is right.

"As a football club, I'd like to think we are in tune with our supporters and we don't operate as an island; we listen to what they say and respect their opinions.

"But just as managers don't pick teams based on what the supporters think, we can't pick a manager based on who is perceived to be the most popular choice with the fans.

"We live in the real world but if we went for the person who was top of whatever polls are out there and then, God forbid, he losses six of his first 10 games, the same people who voted for him would be turning around and saying the board has made a big mistake.

"I've spoken to countless people, and everyone in the building has spoken to me at some point, telling me who they want as the next manager, and they all have different opinions.

"We listen to that, of course we do, because we are not working in isolation, we do live in the real world, but we can't abdicate this responsibility.

"As a board, we have to stand up and be counted at times like this, and that's exactly what we intend to."