Bradford City reaction given amid Graham Alexander to Preston North End 'temptation' | OneFootball

FLW's Bradford City fan pundit has given his verdict on whether manager Graham Alexander could be tempted by a move to Preston North End.

It has been a strong start to the season for Bradford City in League One, but manager Graham Alexander is currently being linked with Championship side Preston North End.

After suffering play-off heartbreak last season, Bradford are among the early front-runners in League One this campaign, but Alexander's future has been the subject of speculation in recent days.

Bradford City manager Graham Alexander responds to Preston North End rumours

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Alexander has been in charge of Bradford since November 2023, and he led the club to automatic promotion from League Two in the 2024-25 season, with a last-gasp 1-0 victory over Fleetwood Town on the final day of the campaign ending their six-year exile from the third tier.

It was an impressive first season back in League One for the Bantams as they recorded a fourth-placed finish, but they missed out on promotion as they were beaten 2-0 on aggregate by Bolton Wanderers.

Bradford have responded well to last season's disappointment, with Alexander's men currently sitting third in the table after winning four of their opening six league games of the new campaign, while they have also progressed to the fourth round of the Carabao Cup.

However, speculation has emerged this week linking Alexander with a move to his former club Preston, who are on the hunt for a new manager after sacking Paul Heckingbottom on Sunday following seven defeats from their first eight games of the Championship season.

Alexander scored 62 goals and provided nine assists in 410 appearances during two spells as a player with the Lilywhites, while he also had a five-game stint as caretaker manager in the 2011-12 season.

When asked about the rumours of a possible return to Deepdale, Alexander claimed that it was inevitable that Bantams players and staff would attract interest as the club have "done a lot of good things over a sustained period of time", but despite admitting that he has "history" with North End, he insisted that he does not "look too far in the future".

Bradford City fan verdict issued on Graham Alexander, Preston North End speculation

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When asked for his thoughts on the speculation involving Alexander, FLW's Bradford City fan pundit Boris Thomson admitted that he believes the 54-year-old could be attracted by a potential return to Preston, but he revealed that he is confident he will remain at Valley Parade.

"Do I think Graham Alexander could be tempted by a move to Preston? Yes," Boris told FLW.

"Do I think it will happen? No.

"I think it's a coincidence and convenient speculation, I doubt it would actually happen.

"As much as it might seem logical, I think if Preston fans actually thought about it, do they think it would be nice to have him back because he had a good stint as a player there? Yeah, maybe.

"Do they think it's the right decision for them as a football club going forward, bias aside? Probably not.

"To be honest, he's got a good thing going with us.

"We're a bit on and off at the moment, which is fine because we go through periods like that.

"Will he be swayed away by a bit of speculation? I doubt it."

Graham Alexander must be cautious about swapping Bradford City for Preston North End

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It is unclear at this stage whether Preston are interested in appointing Alexander as their new manager, but his cryptic answers when asked about the speculation will certainly ring alarm bells at Bradford.

Alexander could have shut down the rumours and committed his future to the Bantams, but his failure to do so suggests that he may be keen to make an emotional return to Deepdale if the opportunity arises.

However, while Alexander will understandably still have plenty of affection for North End, he should be incredibly careful about leaving Valley Parade, where he has rebuilt his managerial career over the past three years.