BEN Clarke has emerged as one of the favourites to take over from Adrian Skeggs at Worcester Rugby Club.

The 33-year-old former England player is out of contract at Bath in the summer, and he is believed to be considering an offer of a player-coach role at Sixways from Worcester owner Cecil Duckworth.

Skeggs was told yesterday that his contract as director of coaching was not to be renewed and that the club have already begun to talk to possible successors.

That includes Clarke, who is among three contenders for the vacant post, with an announcement looking set for next week.

The former England back row said: "There is still some way to go with the negotiations but I hope that they will be sorted by the end of the week."

Duckworth would only confirm that Clarke was among the players he was talking to about the coaching role.

He said: "Ben is a very exciting prospect. He is obviously Premiership quality, a big name and has played most of the season for Bath.

"He is among the players we have spoken to but nothing has been concluded and it is only one option. Nothing has been decided yet."

Clarke has won 40 caps for England and was also a key member of the British Lions during the 1990s.

He was also one of the mainstays of Bath's phenomenal success in that period but looks to have played his final game for the Recreation Ground club after Sunday's Zurich Championship final defeat by Leicester at Twickenham.

The ex-Saracens man has been in contract talks with Bath since the turn of the year but was disappointed with their final offer and looks certain to leave.

"The club (Bath) have decided what they want and, as things look at the moment, Sunday's match will have been my last match for them," Clarke added.