3 Paul Heckingbottom replacements Preston North End must consider ASAP | OneFootball

Preston North End must have these three names on their shortlist after sacking Paul Heckingbottom

Preston North End confirmed their decision to part ways with Paul Heckingbottom following their 1-0 loss to Lincoln City.

Freddie Draper’s 81st minute strike at Deepdale on Saturday saw the Imps earn all three points, which ultimately proved the end for the Lilywhites’ head coach.

The 49-year-old had been in charge for two years, having taken over in August 2024, and led the team to 30 wins from 109 games in the dugout.

The Lancashire outfit finished 20th and 14th in his two campaigns as head coach, but the team have won just one of their opening seven fixtures in 2026/27, leaving them inside the relegation zone.

Preston have lost their other six games, and sit 23rd, only ahead of Burnley in this early phase of the campaign.

Here we look at three Heckingbottom replacements the club must consider following his departure…

Jon Dahl Tomasson

Action images

Jon Dahl Tomasson is currently available following the end of his time as Sweden head coach in 2025.

The Dane has previous Championship experience with Lancashire rivals Blackburn Rovers, although that shouldn’t be enough to put him off a possible move to Deepdale if there is interest.

The 50-year-old led Rovers to a seventh place finish in 2022/23 before walking away in February 2024 after a disappointing first half of the season was undermined further by issues behind the scenes.

Tomasson’s club record is solid, and his underwhelming stint with the Swedish national team shouldn’t put them off his possible appointment.

He has earned a reputation for stable and tough-to-beat football that could help turn things around at Preston.

Robbie Keane

Action Images

Robbie Keane has built himself a strong CV in the first few years of his managerial career, enjoying success with Macabbi Tel Aviv and Ferencvaros.

He won the league title with both clubs, but is currently available as a free agent after departing the Hungarian club at the end of last season after the team failed to win the league for the first time since 2018.

The former Ireland international could be tempted to make the move to English football, having previously worked as a coach at Middlesbrough.

While his lack of experience as the head coach at this level may be a concern, it could be a risk worth taking based on the success he's had elsewhere.

Given the difficult start to the campaign Preston have endured, taking a gamble on something different might be what's needed to get the team back on track.

Steve Clarke

Action images

Steve Clarke hasn’t managed at a club level since 2019, but he spent the last several years enjoying success in charge of Scotland.

He led the country to their first international tournament, and their first World Cup, since 1998, earning big results along the way.

His most recent EFL experience came back in 2015, but the 63-year-old will still know the quality of the Championship well after working with a number of players from that level for Scotland.

Clarke has the potential to be a smart appointment, and an upgrade on Heckingbottom, if he can carry on with the positive work he did at national level.