Preston North End have Everton assistant manager Leighton Baines and Plymouth Argyle boss Tom Cleverley among the names on their head coach shortlist.
Preston North End are under the caretaker lead of Jason Euell after Paul Heckingbottom was relieved of his duties earlier this month. PNE will hope to make progress in their new boss hunt over the international break, and two fresh names have emerged on the radar.
According to reporter Alan Nixon, the Lilywhites have Everton coach Leighton Baines and Plymouth Argyle boss Tom Cleverley on their new manager shortlist. North End are also targeting Robbie Keane, but an unnamed Championship club are also interested and Celtic retain their admiration.
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Heckingbottom spent nearly two years in charge at Deepdale, overseeing 109 games. He succeeded Ryan Lowe in the North West after a short stint under the caretaker lead of Mike Marsh.
All Preston North End fans need to know about managerial candidates Leighton Baines and Tom Cleverley
Of the two latest names linked with the Preston North End job, Baines is certainly more of an unknown quantity. Since ending an excellent playing career in 2020, he has make progress in the coaching world by progressing from an Everton academy role to the position of assistant manager alongside David Moyes.
The only managerial experience the 41-year-old has had to date came as boss of the Toffees’ U18s side. Baines averaged 1.37 points per game in that 62-match stint.
Cleverley meanwhile has performed well since taking charge of Plymouth Argyle in 2025. He had performed well in tough circumstances in his maiden role with Watford and has grown impressively in his time with the Pilgrims, turning them into one of League One’s promotion favourites this term.
The PNE managerial target usually plays with a 4-2-3-1 setup but has utilised a three-man defence before too. Cleverley could be intrigued by a Championship opportunity after his short-lived Watford stint.
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The Verdict: Preston North End considering a variety of profiles in new boss hunt
Although seemingly restricting their search to domestic-based options, Preston North End do have some variety in terms of profiles. Baines is an intriguing yet unproven entity, whereas Cleverley has a bit more experience under his belt and has found some good results in League One with Plymouth Argyle.
Keane meanwhile is out of work and up for grabs having cut his teeth in overseas roles with Maccabi Tel Aviv and Ferencvaros. It would be a new challenge for him in the Championship, but one he will be confident he can succeed in.
The hope will surely be that PNE can get a new boss in over the international break to lead them against Millwall on October 10th.
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