Aston Villa's caretaker coach Kevin MacDonald says those above him at the Birmingham club want to appoint French coach Remi Garde.

Former boss Tim Sherwood was fired on Sunday after six straight defeats, and MacDonald was appointed in the interim during the search for a new long term appointment.

"Obviously, the hierarchy think he is the man for the job," MacDonald told a press conference on Friday.

"He has got a good pedigree as a coach and if at the end of the season Aston Villa are still in the Premier League then it's a good appointment," he said.

Garde was well liked during a three-year spell at Lyon, but left his post in 2014 for personal reasons.

He has been tipped by another French manager to take over at Villa, namely Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger, who signed the now 49-year-old for the London club in 1996.

"I'm convinced he's the frontrunner," said Wenger.

"It is a challenge that he should take," Wenger advised his countryman.

"Remi is an intelligent man who has experience in Lyon now. He will try to get his ideas through, the ideas he got through in Lyon, and hopefully it can work.

"They have five or six French players there who haven't all had an impact, maybe he will give them a chance, I don't know."

Aston Villa are bottom of the Premier League with just four points from 10 games.