Kevin Kilbane voices concerns over Preston North End's future under potential new ownership

Boyhood North Ender Kevin Kilbane has joined a growing chorus of voices concerned about what a future without the Hemmings Family will look like for Preston.

The 49-year-old ex-winger was born and raised in the city and spent his formative years at the club, making 50-odd appearances in the first team as a teenager in the mid-1990s.

He would go on to enjoy a distinguished career playing at the highest level for club such as Everton, West Bromwich Albion and Sunderland as well as winning more than a century of caps for the Republic of Ireland.

A veteran of Ireland’s 2002 World Cup campaign in Japan and South Korea, Kilbane has forged a successful career as a football pundit after retiring from playing.

He has worked for the BBC and in recent years has ‘moved across the pond’ where he is a respected voice on the game in Canada.

Despite being stationed on the other side of the Atlantic, Kilbane retains a deep affection for PNE and has taken a keen interest in a potential takeover of the club.

It was back in January that the Hemmings Family revealed that they are in discussions about selling the club to US-born Saudi businessman Amr Zedan.

Speculation that Zedan was about to launch a takeover only intensified when he was seen watching North End in action towards the end of the season.

Nothing concrete materialised over the summer but earlier this month, club chairman Ian Penrose issued an update confirming that the Hemmings Family were in negotiations with parties who have made offers to buy PNE on terms that are acceptable.

The fact that negotiations are taking time should provide PNE fans with some comfort going forward, especially as the Government has introduced a new independent regulator for English football clubs geared towards safeguarding club sustainability, the overall stability of the football pyramid and the cultural heritage of the game.

In recent months, ex-captain Ian Bryson, who Kilbane played alongside at Deepdale, and former PNE and Liverpool defender Mark Lawrenson have taken a cautionary tone about the prospect of a new owner.

Since the late Trevor Hemmings took control of the club in 2010, the club has remained on a stable footing off the pitch, which has continued after his passing in 2021.

Fans may be irked that a prolonged promotion campaign seems to be beyond PNE currently, and that a takeover could possibly take the club to another level.

However, Kilbane is wary especially as he has seen other clubs suffer following takeovers, including one of his other former clubs Wigan Athletic, who have endured a number of off-the-field issues in recent years.

“Probably in the last 20 years, it’s always felt that a takeover has been due,” said Kilbane.

“I had a good relationship with Trevor when he was alive and he would always say that they would be willing to give the club up at any time if somebody can take the club forward.

“It’s always felt that this sort of stage was always going to be there.

“I am always wary as I am sure a lot of North End fans would be as well when you’re at this stage where there’s a takeover going on; where is the club going to go; where are they going to take us?

“I think that’s pretty much where I am at on it to be fair - I don’t think I am overly enthusiastic about it and that is only because that it will always be the unknown until we see the results and what is brought to the club itself.

“North End have been such a stable Championship club over the past 10 years or so.

“Certainly since Simon Grayson took over - he established them as a Championship club and we were always hopeful that they were able to go on and get a top six spot.

“The play-offs were certainly always the aim at the start of every season.

“Let’s have a play-off push, if we can get into the play-offs but it’s only happened a couple of times during the last 10 years that North End have been contenders.

“The investment, and that’s me going back to knowing Trevor and speaking to Trevor well over 10 years ago at this stage now, and Trevor saying to me that the club does need investment and when somebody is prepared to do that, I am prepared to give it up.

“It’s just never been the case.

“I am wary, I am nervous about it. We’ve seen with many other clubs what’s happened. We only need to look to Wigan over the road, Bolton.

“When there’s talk of serious investment going into the club, sometimes it doesn’t materialise like maybe many people think it’s going to happen.

“So I hope it’s going to be a success - I don’t want to put too much of a dampener on it but I’m very wary in my mindset also.”

Kilbane revealed that his links with Trevor Hemmings goes back to the time when he was playing in the club’s youth teams.

Although Hemmings was not the owner back then, he was still a prominent figure off the pitch.

He added: “Trevor used to tell me stories that he knew me when I was a young boy and he used to watch me on the pitch playing for Preston town team when I was 10 and 11 years of age.

“Whether that is true or not, I am not too sure but Trevor always had the best interests of the club at heart.

“Realistically were Preston ever going to make £150m or £250m, it was never going to happen so it was about stabilising the club.

“It’s about trying to build slowly, trying to be a successful Championship club which Preston have been over the past 10 years - that has to be said.

“But how do they go on to the next level. I have been envious seeing Burnley, seeing Blackpool, Wigan; local rivals who have been able to get Premier League status at some stage.

“Then you look around the country and see Luton Town, Norwich, Ipswich Town - why can’t Preston do the same?

“I am also realistic enough to know, having been in the game, how difficult it is to establish yourself and get anywhere near a Premier League.”

Kilbane will be an interested spectator this evening as North End take on another of his ex-clubs Everton.

The Toffees are of course managed by former PNE boss David Moyes who Kilbane played alongside at Deepdale.

“I played with Moysie,” said Kilbane. “I was at Preston from the age of 10.

“You couldn’t officially sign for the club in those days but I was playing one year above my age group.

“I managed to progress through the system. I had a great time

“David Beckham was there although I never played alongside him.

“My brother Farrell was a pro and he was around the first team although he didn’t play a lot of games but he was around the first-team squad when Beckham was there.

“They were unbelievable times and you look back at your career and think probably between the ages of 16 to 20, that four year development that I had at Preston was probably the biggest growth in terms of my ability during the course of my whole career.

“Amazing times when John Beck was the manager, Gary Peters was the manager and then I obviously moved on and that was how it went but I had such fond times.

“I have been back so many times, been to so many games - they were great times.”