Next Preston North End Manager: After Paul Heckingbottom

If you are a Preston fan, you’d probably be annoyed at the club hierarchy for not entertaining John Mousinho as a potential next manager.

The 38-year-old current Portsmouth manager has enjoyed a successful time at Fratton Park in the 27 months he has been at the helm having guided them to a League One title with an impressive 97 points and, now, in 2024/25, he looks set to steer them to Championship safety too.

Preston’s ambitions shouldn’t be limited to staying in the Championship though, and Mousinho is a coach that feels like he has a ceiling above the bottom end of the second tier.

Some will point to the fact he penned a new contract in September, but that only protects Pompey from a financial perspective, with the lure of Preston likely to appeal to the manager.

In addition to all of that, which we think makes Preston and Mousinho a good fit, the two parties do have history together, too, with Mousinho not only having played for the Lilywhites but also having captained the club.

Former Huddersfield manager David Wagner has been out of work since being sacked by fellow Championship club Norwich in May 2024, just a day after losing out in the play-off semi-finals.

His track record on these shores, though, is one that means Preston should be asking the question of his representatives in a world where Paul Heckingbottom leaves Deepdale.

Wagner, who first cut his managerial teeth with the Borussia Dortmund B team, guided Huddersfield to an unlikely promotion in 2017 before guiding them to survival in their first-ever Premier League campaign.

The style of play Wagner prefers isn’t something that always excites a fanbase but that’s less of an issue when getting sides to punch above their weight and, as such, you can see the Preston fans buying into his approach if they can get themselves into playoff contention under his guidance; his track record would suggest that he’d be capable of doing exactly that.

For Wagner, a lot will depend on what other offers are on the table. Recent links to the MLS have surfaced but at 53-years-old, he still has plenty of time ahead of him where coaching is concerned and doing another good job in the UK could resurrect what was a strong reputation prior to his sacking at Carrow Road.

David Healy is a legend at Deepdale where his playing career is concerned and the club fanbase would have him as their manager with open arms. On paper, Healy could certainly stand up a strong CV and knock the door down for an interview, providing he wanted to.

Admittedly, his coaching career in England is non-existent but he has enjoyed a glittering decade at Northern Irish club Linfield where he has lifted a total of 13 pieces of silverware, including six league titles, whilst also taking the club to the brink of European football before falling in the final qualification round courtesy of shootout heartache.

There is obviously a notable step change between the Northern Irish Premiership and Championship though whilst a 10-year run in his homeland might suggest Healy, 45, isn’t overly bothered about getting into coaching in England. His name will almost definitely feature on the bookies list, though.

Stockport boss Dave Challinor could be a great appointment for Preston. He’s proven throughout his career that he’s not in a desperate to rush to the top having built his reputation as a coach through the pyramid and he’s done so achieving tangible success with every club too.

Through coincidence or design, most of his work has come at clubs easily accessible from the North West too, which makes Preston a geographical fit.

The downside though could be underpinned by timing. Challinor is involved in the League One promotion race with Stockport at the moment.

Any promotion would probably hit pause on the 49-year-old switching jobs and, equally, failure for Stockport in a probable play-off campaign, could see other clubs with more pressing vacancies come calling.

Will Preston be bold in calling time on Heckingbottom as early as this summer? We’re not convinced.