Jason Euell on becoming Preston North End interim boss and management ambition

Jason Euell has spoken to the media for the first time since becoming Preston North End’s interim manager.

Euell was the club’s first-team coach before taking the interim role on Sunday, following the departure of Paul Heckingbottom and Stuart McCall.

Speaking to the media on Thursday ahead of PNE’s trip to QPR this Saturday, Euell reflected on the duo’s exit from the club and this week at Euxton.

“It's been a different week to what we've had over the past,” said Euell, “but in terms of football, it tends to be a normal thing now.

“Obviously not for a while at this club, but what we had to do was address it as a group, as a staff, as a club. It sounds very harsh, but then it's business as usual.

“We've got to get back to the day-to-day, knowing the importance of what's ahead of us, which is the game on Saturday away at QPR, and try and change that mindset and focus to go back to winning games of football.

“In terms of what's happened with the gaffer, even when I spoke with the boys, he brought the majority of [the players] in, similar to myself and other staff members.

“We have to respect that he brought us in and gave us the opportunity at this club. We've got to take accountability, to a point, of him not being here any more, and the boys have accepted that. I've accepted that. As in, sometimes we can always go, there's more that we can do.

“And Macca [Stuart McCall], what a guy. As a pair, I mean, they supported myself, the players and the staff. But the focus is about QPR on Saturday.”

Euell is grateful for the opportunity to take charge of a first-team game. He has been vocal previously about wanting to go into management one day, having previously overseen Charlton Athletic’s under-21s and under-23s sides.

“It was always something I wanted to do from when I started doing coaching, to be a number one at some stage.

“Obviously, the circumstances it's come under, even if it is at a temporary stage at this point, it's something I've always wanted to do. It's an opportunity that's been given to me.

“The focus, yes, is on me now because I am put in charge, but the focus is on myself, the staff and the players mainly. That's where I want the focus to be, on the game on Saturday.

“It is something where it's now all eyes are on me as the man at the front, but I've got no issue with that. I've got big shoulders. It's not as if I've not led a team before or coached a team before. Yes, it's at a different level or there’s more at stake, shall I say, but in terms of the players, that's where the focus is.

“I want the players to try and be in the best mental state and physical state to get a good performance and a result come the weekend.”

He added: “To be a number one, you've got to get the opportunity.

“Regardless of how long this may be or the title that you've been given, it's getting the opportunity and being able to do the best in that opportunity. I'm excited about it.

“I'm saying to the boys about looking to enjoy the weekend, being excited about the weekend in a way of putting things right which haven't been going as well.

“I've been saying we've been good, but we need to be better. I'm looking forward to it. I'm not going to be fazed at all by it. Yes, it's me who's at the front and I'm picking the team, it is what it is.

“I'm prepared to do the job and I want the players to give as much as they can come the weekend.”

When asked by the Lancashire Post if a permanent role in first-team management somewhere is still his ambition, he said: “Yeah, 100%.

“Like I said before, it's where I want to be from when I started coaching 14 years ago, to try and get to the highest level as a head coach or manager, whichever title you want to put it as, as in a way of fulfilling another ambition of being able to play, to do it at a playing level, to now then go and do it as a number one.”