Bradford City have "reluctantly" granted Championship strugglers Preston North End permission to speak to manager Graham Alexander regarding their vacant managerial position. Preston's previous manager, Paul Heckingbottom, was sacked earlier this month after two years, following six defeats in their opening seven league games.
Alexander, 54, has a significant history with Preston, having made 372 league appearances for the club across two playing spells. He also had a five-game stint as caretaker manager in 2011-12 before retiring from playing with the Lilywhites at the age of 40.
Bradford City, currently leading League One with five wins from their first seven games, confirmed the approach in a statement. Alexander took charge at Valley Parade in November 2023, guiding them to promotion from League Two in his first full season and a fourth-place finish in League One in 2025-26, where they lost in the play-offs.
Preston North End are struggling in the Championship, sitting second bottom with four points from eight matches. They are scheduled to host Millwall on Saturday, 10 October, in their first game after the international break. BBC Radio Lancashire reports that Preston has narrowed its search to two final candidates for the role.