Preston North End have confirmed that Frankie McAvoy has agreed to become their new head coach. The Scotsman had already been in temporary charge since March, following the sacking of Alex Neil with eight games remaining.
The 53-year-old had worked in the coaching team under Alex Neil at Hamilton Academical, Norwich City, and Preston North End. However, has never taken a management position before his chance with the Lilywhites.
McAvoy took charge of the eight remaining Championship games this term, winning five, drawing two and losing one. After fears of relegation at points throughout the season, his impressive results led the club to a 13th place finish. The clubs’ hierarchy has firmly placed its faith in McAvoy to bring success to the club moving forwards.
Impressive wins over playoff outfits Barnsley and Swansea were highlights of his tenure in interim charge. He will be hoping to build his own squad over the summer and mount a promotion charge next season.
Frankie McAvoy’s Quotes
Speaking to the media, McAvoy spoke of his delight at securing the permanent job:
“I am delighted it has been sorted and hopefully I can emulate some of the great Scottish managers that have been in the club’s history going forward. We are all unique individuals and I will do as best I can for Preston North End.”
“It is an absolute honour to be given this opportunity. The likes of David Moyes, Billy Davies, Craig Brown and, most recently, Alex Neil are just a few fantastic managers and it is big footsteps to follow, but we are all unique individuals – I am Frankie McAvoy and I’ll do the best that I can for Preston North End and try and bring it success in whatever manner I can.”
Preston Legend Joins Coaching Team
Paul Gallagher is hanging up his playing boots after 24 years. Although, he will remain at Deepdale as a first-team coach after playing over 300 times for the Lancashire team. The 36-year-old has also played for Blackburn, Stoke, Plymouth, Leicester and Sheffield United, scoring a combined 90 goals.
The Scottish midfielder had only featured 13 times in the Championship this term, so many North End fans expected the news.
McAvoy A Risk?
Despite the relative success in the last eight games, this is a huge risk by Preston. The club is now going into their seventh successive season in the Championship after promotion from League One in 2014/15. Fans feel the club needs to begin challenging for promotion to the Premier League.
Experienced Championship managers were readily available, offering a much lower risk. However, McAvoy understands the club ethos and knows the players, something evident from his spell in charge. Therefore, this could be a masterstroke by Preston as they prepare for the 2021/22 season.
The Championship Crowd Podcast
For previews, reviews, and greater insight into the latest Championship news, then be sure to listen to this week’s Championship Crowd Podcast. It is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and many more platforms. However, if you would prefer to watch it visually, it is obtainable via the WDSportz YouTube channel.
https://www.youtube.com/c/WDSportz
The best place to keep updated is through our Twitter page @champcrowdpod
Follow, Like and Subscribe to WD Sportz for more football news and updates.
