Plymouth appoint Steven Schumacher ahead of Ryan Lowe's expected arrival at Preston North End

The Pilgrims revealed the move at 2pm on Tuesday and confirmed Lowe had "resigned from his position with the intention of accepting a managerial role elsewhere."

"Having received a request to speak with Lowe from a team in a higher division, the club was obliged to grant permission, as per the terms of his contract at Home Park," a statement added.

Lowe has been the runaway favourite to replace Frankie McAvoy at Deepdale after he was sacked on Monday night.

Andrew Parkinson, Plymouth Argyle Chief Executive Officer, said: “We are very excited about the appointment, and look forward to Steven building on the impressive foundations he has laid at Argyle.

“Schuey is a popular figure at Home Park, and his tactical knowledge, man-management and motivational skills are evident in his day-to-day work.

“We believe he has great potential, and is the obvious choice to provide continuity at a time of great promise at the club.

“More than that, though, Steven fits the profile of the kind of young, forward-thinking Manager we want at Argyle, and no prospective candidate has a better understanding of the club, and squad, than him.

“Of course, we thank Ryan for his achievements as Manager, and we wish him all the best for the future.”

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