'Honestly' - Ex-Man City coach speaks out on being linked to the Preston North End job

Brian Barry-Murphy says he never had a conversation with Preston North End, after being linked with the managerial vacancy last month.

Following Ryan Lowe’s sudden departure, the ex-Manchester City Elite Development Squad coach was one of the bookies’ favourites for the job - and it’s understood he did apply. North End, though, moved swiftly to appoint ex-Sheffield United boss Paul Heckingbottom.

Barry-Murphy was a main name in the frame after Lowe’s exit, one game into the 2024/25 campaign. However, it has now come to light that the 46-year-old - who played for PNE between 1999 and 2003 - didn’t hold any talks with the Deepdale club.

The ex-Rochdale boss told Manchester World: “Honestly, I never spoke to anybody at Preston, ever. I’m dead against saying that I want to go here or there. I don’t want to label myself. I had interest from Europe and wouldn’t rule that out. But my clear objective is that it has to align with how I think a club should work and play football.”

He added: “To sum it up best, I want to find somewhere that gives me the exact same feeling as when I joined Man City. I had this feeling that it was the perfect place for me to be at that stage of my career, based on what I’d done and where I wanted to go.

“I’ve never had a career map. I’ve been more in the moment and focused on enjoying myself and improving all the time. I want to work at a club that puts a team together in the way I want to play.

“I want to see something that aligns with my values and my way of playing, which I know now more than ever can produce a winning brand of football. I feel I proved that in my three years at City.”