Graham Alexander isn’t satisfied with just getting the Preston North End job, he wants to take the club ‘somewhere.’
Graham Alexander has revealed he had a conversation with Preston North End legend David Moyes about taking the vacant managerial position at Deepdale.
Graham Alexander speaking in his first PNE press conferenceplaceholder image
Graham Alexander speaking in his first PNE press conference | PNE FC/YouTube
Alexander has returned to Preston for a third time after making 410 appearances for the club over two stints in his illustrious playing career, taking the reins from Paul Heckingbottom following his departure after a difficult start to the new Championship campaign.
The 54-year-old played over 1,000 games during his career but Moyes was the manager he made the most appearances for, 143 in total since signing from Luton Town in 1999 until the iconic manager left for Everton in 2002.
Alexander has spoken several times in the past about the influence Moyes has had on his career as a player and as a manager, with the Goodison Park gaffer remaining a close confidant to this day.
David Moyes is still a mentor to Graham Alexander
David Moyes returned to Deepdale in August.placeholder image
David Moyes returned to Deepdale in August. | Michael Regan/Getty Images
Speaking to the Lancashire Post in his first press conference since arriving at Deepdale on September 28, Alexander said on following in Moyes' footsteps in becoming Preston boss: "It's well documented, the influence the gaffer had on me. Changed my career around, changed my life around, really.
"And I did speak to him last week about this role and. And I'll speak to him again, but I'm my own man. I have my own ideas, but certainly he's been a mentor for me over many years.
"Since my first job at Fleetwood, I spoke to him about that as well. His passion, his desire for this club was there for all to see, and it was there for all to see in the players every single day.
"We could see it, we could feel it. And it's something that was a massive driving force.”
Alexander missed out on facing his mentor by a matter of weeks, as Moyes made his first return to Deepdale as a manager last month when his Everton side faced PNE in the Carabao Cup, winning 4-0.
Alexander has admitted that he's always strived to become the Preston manager but stressed his targets are far higher than just getting the job. Now he wants to take the club forwards.
The 54-year-old said: "I've got to make clear, the aim for me as a manager was to come back here one day and manage, but it's not my ultimate ambition. My ambitions are taking this club somewhere.
"It's not just to be here, it's to win with this club. Now, that has to be clear.
"So I haven't achieved anything yet by being here. What I want to achieve is further down the line with this club, and that's gonna drive us every day."
Graham Alexander was unveiled as the new Preston boss on Monday.placeholder image
Graham Alexander was unveiled as the new Preston boss on Monday. | Ian Robinson/PNE FC
What would it mean to take Preston to the Premier League?
Alexander suffered Play-Off heartbreaks during his playing days at PNE, losing in finals to Bolton Wanderers in 2001 and West Ham United in 2005.
So, after coming so close to taking Preston to the Premier League for the first time as a player, what would it mean to finally do so as manager?
"Yeah, I think that's at the back of my mind, over my managerial career, watching Preston from afar," he told the Lancashire Post.
"Seeing their progress, seeing obviously dropping back into League One and then getting back. Obviously, I managed against them in League One with Fleetwood.
"Our history, when I was here, in the Championship was competing to get in the Premier League and if we finished outside the Play-Offs, it was almost like a mini disaster.
“But that was a long time ago and a different time, but I do think it's a time that can be used as a reference point."
He continued: "And I think my managerial career is full of reference points from when I was a player, when I was a manager early on, you have to use these as sort of driving forces and learning experiences.
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"So that period, for me is, it gave me an idea of what can be achieved without the biggest budget in the league. We did that at Bradford and some of the stuff we did at Bradford was me using my memory bank from when we first broke into the Championship at Preston North End."
First things first, though, and with Preston sitting 23rd in the table on just four points after eight games, Alexander isn't thinking too far ahead just yet.
He added: "So I think it's good to have those reference points to learn from, but it doesn't dictate what happens in the future.
"You have to earn everything you get right here and right now. So I'm not setting any long-term ambitions for this club. We have to go into the next game and be competitive, try and win it. And if you win enough games, you're in a place where you want to be."
Alexander's first game in charge will be at home to Millwall on October 10.