The former West Ham and England international left-back is now a coach under Kevin Keegan at City but his club have told him he could talk to potential clubs about a managers role should he want to.
"What we have said all along is that if someone comes in for Stuart then he can go, that's how the deal is structured," Keegan told City's official website.
"If West Ham come and approach us for Stuart we will shake his hand and wish him the best of luck in the world, but we don't want that to happen."
"But that was the deal for Stuart to stay here. He lives away from his family who are in Wiltshire."
"He does his job properly and never cuts corners. He has come on incredibly in the last year."
"He has got his full coaching badge and so has got everything he needs to be a manager. He has taken the full side a couple of times and has done really well."
"At the end of the day Stuart wants to go and be a manager so his time here has only ever been for a period of time whether it was for three months or two years."