Robbie Keane in frame for Preston North End manager job

Robbie Keane is a contender for the Preston North End manager job, with his past connection to director Peter Ridsdale seen as a factor in the club's search.

Robbie Keane is a serious candidate to become the next manager of Preston North End. The former Leeds United striker is considered a live contender for the role at Deepdale as the club searches for a successor to Paul Heckingbottom.

Preston are in a precarious position, sitting 23rd in the Championship with just three points from seven games. Their recent form shows one win and four defeats in their last five outings, including a 1-0 loss to Lincoln City last time out. The club's leadership is now weighing up its options, with Keane's name strongly in the mix.

The 46-year-old has managerial experience from spells at Maccabi Tel Aviv, where he won a league title, and more recently at Ferencvaros in Hungary. He also served on Sam Allardyce's coaching staff at Leeds United in 2023. A key factor in his candidacy is his existing relationship with Preston director Peter Ridsdale, who was chairman at Leeds during Keane's playing days at Elland Road.

Alan Nixon has described Keane as 'a live contender' for the position. The Irishman has previously spoken about his managerial philosophy, hinting at the challenges of taking over a struggling side.

"If I go to a Championship team now, a low Championship team, and then we're surviving, I have to go there and change the way I want to play, because basically we're trying to survive," Keane said in a past interview.

The immediate task for any new boss will be to lift Preston off the foot of the table and address a defensive record that has seen them concede 13 goals already. Key absentees like Ali McCann and Brad Potts, have not helped. Supporters can track the team's progress and upcoming challenges, starting with a trip to face Queens Park Rangers, on the fixtures schedule.

Preston's next match is away at QPR on Saturday, 19 September.