Graham Alexander’s managerial career so far as Preston North End make contact
A look at what Grezza has achieved as a manager.
Graham Alexander could soon be named Preston North End’s new manager.
Bradford City reluctantly granted permission for their boss to speak with PNE over the role, which has been vacant since Paul Heckingbottom’s departure on September 13.
The 54-year-old is a club legend and it would be his first coaching job in the Championship.
However, the former Scottish international - who racked up 421 appearances across two separate spells at Deepdale - has vast experience and success in lower leagues.
His Bradford side sit top of League One after seven games, having won five and lost two. He, along with assistant and fellow ex-PNE defender Chris Lucketti, has led the resurgence of the Bantams since arriving in November 2023.
Here, we take a look at his managerial career so far, from promotions and cup finals to European qualification.
Preston North End (interim, 2011-12)
While he was still playing for the club, Alexander was named joint caretaker manager following the sacking of Phil Brown in December 2011. Along with first-team coach David Unsworth, he took charge of five games in a month-long period prior to the appointment of Graham Westley.
The first of those was a 1-0 win away to MK Dons. A 3-3 draw with Carlisle on Boxing Day, a 2-0 loss to Sheffield Wednesday and another draw - 1-1 versus Rochdale - followed, before Alexander and Unsworth ended their interim reign with a 3-2 home win against Wycombe.
Westley took charge immediately after that game and was Alexander’s last manager before his retirement in April 2012. ‘Grezza’ scored with the final kick of his career as PNE drew 2-2 with Charlton Athletic on the last day of the season.
In June of the same year, Alexander became PNE’s Head of Youth Development and was in that role for six months before taking up his first position in senior management…
Fleetwood Town (2012-15)
The Cods were in the League Two play-off places when Alexander joined the club, but had sacked previous manager Micky Mellon after a run of three consecutive defeats. After a solid start which saw just two losses in his opening 11 games, they fell away and finished 13th in the league.
However, Fleetwood’s fortunes much improved the following season as they finished fourth on 76 points, qualifying for the play-offs. After a 1-0 aggregate win over York in the semi-finals, they beat Burton Albion by the same scoreline in the final at Wembley and secured promotion to League One. In the same season, the club also made it to the area finals of the EFL Trophy but lost out to Chesterfield over two legs.
The Cods enjoyed a solid 2014-15 campaign - their first ever in the third-tier. They began the season in some style, recording three straight wins and sitting top of the table towards the end of August. While form naturally dipped after that strong start, they maintained a decent record and finished 10th.
Their start to 2015-16, however, was a disappointing one for the club. During a period of transition to a new training ground and financial model, a poor start to the season saw Alexander be relieved of his duties in September 2015. After Lucketti took temporary charge for a week, Steven Pressley was announced as the club’s new manager.
Scunthorpe United (2016-18)
Alexander was appointed Scunthorpe boss in March 2016 and the Iron made a late push for the League One play-offs following his arrival. They missed out on goal difference despite winning seven of their final eight games of the season.
They did make the top six in Grezza’s first full season in charge, finishing third - four points behind the automatic promotion places. However, they lost 3-2 to Millwall in the second leg of the play-off semi-final after a goalless first leg.
Scunthorpe pushed for promotion again in 2017-18 but after an eight-game winless run over February and March, Alexander was sacked with the Iron sat fifth in League One.
Salford City (2018-20)
Alexander accepted ambitious then-National League side Salford’s offer to become their new manager in May 2018, following the departures of hugely popular duo Bernard Morley and Anthony Johnson. After a third-placed finish, the Ammies edged past Eastleigh in the play-off semi-finals, winning on penalties after a 1-1 draw. They defeated AFC Fylde 3-0 in the final and won promotion to the Football League for the first time in their history.
They finished the 2019-20 season, which was curtailed due to the COVID pandemic, in 11th-place. They had a very successful EFL Trophy campaign, reaching the final which was eventually contested five months after Alexander’s departure from the club. Richie Wellens was in post on that day in March 2021, and led the team to a 4-2 win on penalties over Portsmouth, following a 0-0 draw after extra time.
In October 2020, after just five league games had been played, Alexander was relieved of his duties despite an unbeaten start to the season. Gary Neville later admitted that sacking him was a mistake.
“Graham Alexander should have never left this club last season,” Neville told Sky Sports in August 2021, “I should have never made that decision.”
"It goes against everything really that I believe in and that's what owning a football club does to you. It takes you to that place where you do things that you don't believe you ever would do.”
Motherwell (2021-22)
The Scottish Premiership side hired Alexander in January 2021 after a poor run of form which had led to the resignation of Stephen Robinson.
The Fir Park outfit were second-bottom of Scotland’s top flight but that slide was soon reversed under Alexander, as they won eight of their remaining 18 league games and ended the campaign in eighth.
Motherwell finished fifth the following season, meaning they would play in the qualifying rounds of the Europa Conference League in the summer of 2022. However, after a 3-0 aggregate defeat to Irish side Sligo Rovers in the second round of qualification, Alexander left the club by mutual consent.
Milton Keynes Dons (2023)
After his appointment in May 2023? Alexander’s task at Stadium MK was simple: to take the club back to League One after their recent relegation. He started that mission well, winning four of the opening five games of the season and picking up the league’s Manager of the Month award.
However, after failing to win any of the following eight league games, he and Lucketti were relieved of his duties.
MK Dons eventually returned to the third-tier this season, after Paul Warne led them to promotion.
Bradford City (2023-)
There was a similar longing to return to League One for Bradford City when Alexander returned in 2023. The Bantams were relegated in 2019 and hadn’t come back up since.
Alexander was the man to change that. After a shaky start, they enjoyed a strong run of form towards the end of the 2023-24 season which, along with an overhaul of the playing squad that summer, laid the foundations for a successful 2024-25 campaign, in which they finished third and won promotion back to League One.
They hit the ground running upon their return to the third-tier, sitting top of the table at the end of September 2025. Despite a slight dip in form around January and February, the Bantams recorded a fifth-placed finish and took on Bolton in the play-off semi-finals. They lost 2-0 on aggregate to Steven Schumacher’s side, who won promotion to the Championship a fortnight later.
Bradford have started this season very strongly. They are top of the table and boast the joint best defensive record in the EFL, having only conceded four times in seven games.
They have also made it to the fourth round of the Carabao Cup, following wins over Rochdale, recently-relegated Championship side Burnley (on penalties) and Leyton Orient. They will host fellow League One side Peterborough in the last-16.
If Alexander does leave for PNE, he will leave a legacy at Valley Parade and be regarded as one of their greatest ever managers.