Preston North End backed to have the 'pulling power' for Steven Gerrard | OneFootball

FLW's Preston North End fan pundit shares their thoughts on the potential appointment of Steven Gerrard and whether the club can attract big names

Preston North End have officially dismissed Paul Heckingbottom from his role in charge of the Lancashire-based outfit after just one win in their opening seven Championship games.

Preston have become the first Championship side this year to part ways with their head coach, taking just seven games before handing Heckingbottom his notice after over a century of games in charge.

The Lilywhites, despite breaking their transfer record on Alfie Devine and spending in excess of £15 million this summer, have lost six of their opening seven league games this campaign, and that has proven to be enough to hand the former Sheffield United boss his marching orders.

Now, Preston will be on the hunt for his successor almost immediately, as the club will take its time to weigh up their options.

Why Preston North End have parted ways with Paul Heckingbottom

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Heckingbottom, 49, endured a miserable end to his time in charge of Preston, picking up just 26 points from their last 29 league matches, losing 17 of those, and keeping just one clean sheet in their last 27 league matches.

Despite being backed over the summer, Heckingbottom has failed to demonstrate any signs of improvement this season, and as a result, has lost his job.

Links of names will certainly come to the fore in the following days, though one that has been thrown about is that of Steven Gerrard, who has been out of work since leaving Saudi Arabian outfit Al-Ettifaq in January 2025.

The former Rangers and Aston Villa boss has never previously managed or played in the Championship, as now, he could be handed the opportunity to change that with Preston, though whether the club can attract a name of his calibre remains to be seen.

Football League World's Preston North End pundit backs the club to attract big names such as Steven Gerrard

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Football League World's Preston fan pundit, Darren Watson, has shared their thoughts on the possibility of appointing Steven Gerrard, and whether the club has the pulling power to attract a big name such as the Liverpool legend.

Darren said: "To be honest, I think Preston North End do have the pulling power to pull the manager, obviously, of that name and even bigger names as well. Simply because we need to remember that we're one league below the Premier League, and it is appealing to any manager, any foreign manager or any manager currently managing at the moment.

"You know, it is a difficult league, the Championship, difficult league to get out of, difficult league to win. But, the promise of getting promotion to the Premier League is there, and it's all for a manager to take, and you just got to look at the calibre of managers that are managing the Championship, and then also now obviously in the Premier League and are thriving as well.

"So, it's a difficult league, yes, a lot of managers get to the Premier League and also do struggle as well, like we've seen with Frank Lampard this season with his Coventry side. But again, you know, it's a club with a lot of history, Preston North End, and hopefully, we need the right man to take us forward in a different direction.

"There are a lot of names floating around. Steven Gerrard is one of them, and even Graham Alexander, you know, a former Preston North End player who's currently managing at Bradford City.

"So, you know, I think we couldn't get any big-name manager. It's a very promising club in the Championship as well, one league below the Premier League, so it is a very good idea for a manager to come to Preston North End and, hopefully, get us out of this rut and then maybe next season, have a go at the promotion."

Preston North End must ensure they get this next appointment correct amid Steven Gerrard possibility

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Preston showed enough grit and determination to claim all three points over Lancashire rivals Blackburn Rovers this campaign, and though it hasn't translated into any more points as yet, it gives supporters something to go off.

Failure to get this next appointment correct could see the club slip further down the league if they are not careful, having flirted with relegation to League One in 2025.

Whether Gerrard would be the right candidate to take on this job at this stage remains to be seen, as Preston will be working around the clock to draw up a shortlist of potential names to pursue, and it would be no surprise to see the former England and Liverpool midfielder included.