Essendon great Matthew Lloyd backs his former club to select the correct senior coach amid the media furore surrounding James Hird.

Hird, a Bombers icon, stated his intentions to return to Tullamarine as coach following the sacking of Brad Scott last week.

Lloyd insisted the race will not be a "boat race", but potential candidates are wary of getting involved in the process if Hird is the next man in line.

"Firstly I don't begrudge James at all. He is desperate to be the coach of this club and he genuinely wants to be the coach," Lloyd said on Channel Nine's The Sunday Footy Show.

"I don't hold anything against him for doing that. And I just hope these other coaches cannot feel it's a boat race because it's not. Welshy is his own man, he will pick the best coach for the club, I hope James can get an interview and these coaches can put their hand up and fight against James.

"I am telling you that Welshy will not just pick James Hird, he will pick the best coach for the footy club.

"This is not Hirdy's job at all. He has to fight for it and he has to first get an interview first."

Lloyd also backed in another premiership teammate and Essendon caretaker Dean Solomon as the right man to step into the vacancy left by Scott.

Albeit his first outing as Bombers coach was disappointing against the Eagles, the goal-kicking champion believes Solomon could snare a few victories before the end of the season, putting him in the conversation alongside Hird.

"I expect them to bounce and win four or five games on the way home," Lloyd said.

"People might be shocked by that, but the lift in senior players who haven't been playing well because they haven't been a happy club — if they can turn it around, the senior core players and they can win some games — (Dean Solomon) might even be a chance to coach next year."

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