Preston consider Everton assistant Leighton Baines for manager role

Preston North End are targeting Everton coach Leighton Baines and Plymouth's Tom Cleverley as they look to appoint a new manager following Paul Heckingbottom's departure.

Preston North End are considering Everton assistant manager Leighton Baines as a potential replacement for sacked head coach Paul Heckingbottom. The club are actively searching for a new boss after a dismal start to the Championship season left them 23rd in the table with just four points from eight games.

Robbie Keane remains their main target for the Deepdale hotseat. However, with the former Ireland striker also attracting interest from another Championship club and Celtic, Preston have drawn up contingency plans. Should Keane decline the role, the club could turn to Baines or Plymouth Argyle manager Tom Cleverley.

Baines, who ended his playing career in 2020, is currently an assistant to David Moyes at Everton. He previously managed the Toffees' under-18 side for 62 matches, averaging 1.37 points per game. His connection to Preston is through Moyes, who managed the Lilywhites from 1998 before moving to Goodison Park. Cleverley, the current Plymouth boss who took charge in 2025, is also under consideration after a previous short stint at Watford.

The search comes after Preston dismissed Heckingbottom following seven straight league defeats to open the campaign, a run that included a 1-0 home loss to Lincoln City. Caretaker boss Jason Euell has overseen a slight uptick, with the team securing a 2-2 draw at Queens Park Rangers in their last outing. Johnny Kenny scored twice in that match, but a late equaliser from Paul Smyth denied North End all three points.

With the international break underway, the club's hierarchy hope to make an appointment before the Championship resumes. Preston's next fixture is at home to Millwall on 10 October, a match they will want to approach with a permanent manager in place. The new boss will inherit a squad where top scorer C. Lang has three goals this season, but which has conceded 15 times in eight matches. The team's recent form, with only one point from the last available 15, shows the scale of the task.

Fans can check the full schedule on the club's fixtures page and view the current standings.