Struggling Preston North End sack manager Heckingbottom
Championship side Preston North End have sacked manager Paul Heckingbottom after six defeats in their last seven games. Coach Jason Euell takes interim charge.
Preston North End have dismissed manager Paul Heckingbottom after the club slipped to second-bottom of the Championship following six defeats in their last seven matches.
Heckingbottom took charge in August 2024 and oversaw 109 games, but managed just five wins in 27 league matches since the start of January. The final loss came at home on Saturday, a 1-0 defeat to Lincoln City, with fans booing and jeering at the final whistle.
In a statement, the club said football is a results business and that despite significant investment in the squad since Heckingbottom's arrival, results during 2026 and the start of the current season have not been acceptable. The club thanked him for his professionalism and work ethic.
Assistant manager Stuart McCall has also departed the club alongside Heckingbottom. Coach Jason Euell has been placed in interim charge, with a trip to QPR on Saturday his first test before a three-week international break.
In his first season, Heckingbottom guided Preston to a 20th-place finish, their worst since returning to the Championship in 2015. They narrowly avoided relegation with a final-day draw at Bristol City after a run of seven games without a win, having earlier reached the FA Cup quarter-finals following a 3-0 thrashing of Burnley in the fifth round.
This season Preston lost only one of their opening nine league matches and were early pace-setters, but 12 defeats in their final 22 games dropped them to 14th. Heckingbottom was backed in the transfer window with several new signings, including defender Harry Clarke from Ipswich and forward Johnny Kenny from Celtic on deadline day.
