COLIN Sexstone believes the Bristol City manager's job has become an "immensely attractive" proposition.

The Championship club is seeking a successor to Gary Johnson, who quit Ashton Gate by mutual consent last month.

And chief executive Sexstone said the calibre of those who have applied for the post proves City are going places.

City have received more than 100 serious applications and chairman Steve Lansdown has whittled the list down to a small handful, who are being interviewed this week. As revealed in yesterday's Post, former Manchester United and England star Steve Coppell is on Lansdown's shortlist, while ex-West Ham United and Charlton boss Alan Curbishley, one-time Scotland manager George Burley and Tony Mowbray, in charge of Celtic until recently, have also been linked with the vacancy.

City made startling progress under Johnson, who led the Robins to automatic promotion from League One in 2007 and then steered them to the Championship play-off final at Wembley a year later.

Now City are striving to host Premier League football in a new 30,000 all-seater stadium within the next three seasons.

Sexstone said: "The Bristol City manager's job has great appeal these days. You only have to look at the standard of the applicants to realise how far this club has come.

"We are established in the top half of the Championship, we want to be challenging for the play-offs at the very least next season and we are moving ahead with plans to move to a fantastic new stadium.

"In short, everything is in place to push for Premier League status.

"The job has become an immensely attractive proposition and is attracting a level of interest we have not seen previously."

Sexstone believes the reassuring presence of Lansdown at the helm is helping sell the club to prospective new managers.

Lansdown refused to panic when City suffered a humiliating 6-0 home defeat to arch rivals Cardiff earlier this season and, instead of sacking manager Johnson, he backed him.

Lansdown always backed Johnson in the transfer market, showing a level of support and loyalty which will not have gone unnoticed elsewhere.

Sexstone said: "We have a fantastic chairman who is totally committed to taking this club to the next level.

"He is not one of those who goes for quick fix solutions - he is building something which will last long into the future. I believe Steve Lansdown is a major factor in people wanting to be the next Bristol City manager."

Meanwhile, Bristol City have told midfielders Frankie Artus and Ashley Kington and striker Tristan Plummer they are free to find new clubs at the end of the season.

The three Academy products are out of contract this summer and caretaker boss Millen said: "We will help them to get a move and, in the meantime, they will continue to play in our reserve-team games."