Former Sunderland and Sheffield Wednesday defender 'stand-out' candidate for Preston North End role
The latest news from across the Championship.
There was shock across the Championship on Monday morning when it was confirmed Ryan Lowe had left his role at Preston North End just over 24 hours before Sunderland visit Deepdale for a Carabao Cup tie.
The former Bury and Stockport County striker took charge of Preston in December 2021 after agreeing to leave Plymouth Argyle and led the Lilywhites to mid-table finishes over the following three seasons. Lowe had been surprisingly quiet in the transfer market this summer after signing Silkeborg midfielder Stefan Thordarson in a £500,000 deal and loan deals were secured for Leeds United’s Sam Greenwood and Aston Villa’s Kaine Kesler-Hayden. Two of the three new additions were in the starting lineup for Friday night’s 2-0 home defeat against Sheffield United - and that will now go down as Lowe’s final game in charge after he mutually agreed to part company with North End on Monday.
In a statement released via the club’s official website, Lowe addressed his departure, saying: ‘Obviously, as you know, my time at Preston North End has come to an end. I’ve had an unbelievable two and a half years, met some incredible people and coached some fantastic players, but I feel now is the right time to move on. I’ve had an unbelievable time working with Peter Ridsdale over the last two and a half years. Thank you to Peter, Craig Hemmings and the Hemmings family for their support and backing and giving me the opportunity to manage a fantastic football club and establish myself as a Championship manager. A big thank you also goes to the players past and present for their attitude and application during my time as manager.”
Mike Marsh has been placed in temporary charge ahead of Sunderland’s trip to Deepdale and he will be assisted by Peter Murphy and Ched Evans - but with thoughts turning towards Lowe’s permanent successor, former Blackburn Rovers defender Stephen Warnock believes a manager with connections to the Black Cats is the stand-out candidate to step into the role.
He told Sky Sports: “The candidate that stands out straightaway is (Paul) Heckingbottom. You look at him and think (he is) a really good coach, really good pedigree and I think the big question is he, or whoever gets the job, will want to know why Ryan Lowe left. Managers speak, so they’ll be on the phone, asking the questions, why did you leave? What were the reasons behind it? Now he might give the absolute reasons behind the scenes. It might be the board, it might be the team, whatever it is. Then they can make that decision based off that as well. He’s the one person that springs to mind straightaway.”
Sheffield United close on Premier League winger
Sheffield United are on the brink of winning the race to sign Crystal Palace winger Jesurun Rak-Sakyi -according to the Sheffield Star.
The 21-year-old has been linked with several Championship clubs in recent weeks with the likes of Leeds United and QPR said to be on a growing list of his admirers. Premier League newcomers Southampton were also believed to be keen on the winger and there were several reports suggesting the Saints were unsuccessful with a permanent move for Rak-Sakyi last month. However, it now looks like the Eagles academy product will join the Blades on a season-long loan deal over the next 24 hours after he arrived at Bramall Lane to undergo a medical on Monday.