Paul McKenna to take inspiration from Preston North End greats as he returns to football as Bamber Bridge boss

It’s the season of Preston North End legends becoming managers in the local area.

Hot on the heels of Graham Alexander taking over at Deepdale, Paul McKenna has been appointed as the new boss of Bamber Bridge and he hopes to take lessons from some of the best managers he played for with him into his first managerial role.

Long-serving manager Jamie Milligan departed the Irongate last week after a difficult start to the season has left Brig down in 21st place in the Northern Premier League with just 10 points after 14 games.

The club have moved to replace him with a local hero, hiring Chorley-born McKenna, who played 476 times for Preston, as the new boss.

It’s a bold move as McKenna has been out of the game in an official capacity for about a decade. Though he is a UEFA-licenced coach and has experience in academy football, his only coaching position came in 2016 when he joined Longridge Town alongside former North End teammate Lee Ashcroft.

In the years since, McKenna has been forging a career ‘on Civvy Street’ in the building industry and focussing on raising his children with his wife after four years away from home while he played for Nottingham Forest and Hull City.

But, all the while, becoming a football manager remained an ambition. Now the stars have finally aligned.

“It's very exciting,” McKenna told The Post.

“It's all been a bit of a whirlwind, to be honest. I'd say it's an itch I've always wanted to scratch.

“I wasn't actively seeking to get into management and this opportunity arose, it was presented to me. I came in and met the owners. I thought it was a fantastic opportunity and one I couldn't turn down.

“I think it's good timing on all parts. It is something I've thought about over the years. I did all my badges quite early on from retiring and I tried to get into it then. Two young children, it wasn't the right time. I’d just kinda given over playing because I'd spent four years away from my wife and children, so I wanted to be back home and bring them up.

“They've grown up now and self-sufficient. It seems the right time now. I've got time to put into it. Everything I've done in my life I give it 100 per cent. I'm not taking this lightly.

“I'm really eager to get stuck in. Having that buzz on Saturday again. I just feel it's a good fit at the minute.

“I wouldn't want to do this half-heartedly. I see it as a great opportunity for myself and for the club. I'm really looking forward to it, it's really got the juices flowing again.”

McKenna to lean on experiences with his PNE managers

Having enjoyed a career that spanned over 20 years, McKenna played under a lot of big-name managers.

There were 155 appearances under David Moyes and another 81 for Alan Irving at Deepdale, while he played for Billy Davies at Preston and then Forest 161 times.

There were also 89 games under Craig Brown and a hand-full of appearances for Nigel Pearson, Steve Bruce and even a certain Graham Alexander, while on loan at Fleetwood Town.

With such an eclectic group of coaches, McKenna aims to take inspiration from all of them.

When asked what he believes his style of play will be as a manager, he said: "I think at this level we've got to be organised. We've got to be disciplined.

"I was very fortunate to play under some great managers. The playing career doesn't really come into it, you're influenced by the people who were in charge of you.

"You pick bits from each of them and you understand why they worked.

"Hopefully, I can instil the best bits of what I was taught and try to instil that into my players. It's about thinking about the game and simplifying it really. Just giving each player two or three tasks. If they do what I ask, then they'll play every week."

McKenna then specifically recalled what it was like playing for Moyes.

The 49-year-old continued: "Under David Moyes it was like learning a script.

"It was always, if you do what I'm asking of you, regardless of what you do with the ball... we can all have good games and sometimes the stars align and everything you try comes off and there's other days where you can't pass it five yards without giving it away.

"It happens. I've been there enough times myself.

“But one thing that you can do is have endeavour every week, you can work hard and you can do a job for your team. That's all I ask.

"When I look back and there's certain instances in your career, things stick in your mind. There's some things I wouldn't have done what he [Moyes] did, but people like Alan Irving was fantastic, Billy Davies. You try and take bits from them.

"Listen, I'm learning on the job. I don't have all the answers. I'm coming into this with an idea and hopefully, I can install that and we're successful with it.

"It's a result-based game, I've been employed by the club to try and lead us in the right direction."

McKenna says he has big boots to fill

Even if the new season hasn't gone to plan, Milligan departed Bamber Bridge after seven years in which he enjoyed great success and took them to their highest league finish since the 1990s.

McKenna is full of praise for his former teammate and admits he has 'big shoes to fill' in replacing him.

He said: "I know the last manager, Jamie, I played with him, everyone you speak to at the club only holds him in good regard.

"Obviously, to be at a club for seven years at any level is an incredible achievement, especially as manager when it's a results-based sport.

"Nothing but admiration for what he's done for the club and I know, sometimes it was nip and tuck whether the club stayed afloat and he's weathered the storm.

"You speak to everybody and everyone's got the utmost respect. They're big shoes to fill. All these players are his players, he's been here that long. He signed every single one of them and that's what I'm inheriting.

"It's up to me to get in and gain the lads' trust and try to instil some of my direction that I want to go in. I've seen them in a couple of games the last month and I don't think there's too much wrong.

"I think they've got a good set of players and I just think if I can tweak a few things and hope we can go on a bit of a run."

McKenna's ambition at Bamber Bridge

In his parting message, Milligan said he felt he had taken Bamber Bridge 'as far as it can go' while citing the tight budget he had at his disposal.

McKenna insists he will not be 'getting too far ahead' of himself as he embarks on his first foray into management and getting out of relegation trouble is the first concern.

Yet, with a squad containing the likes of Tom Barkhuizen and Andrew Teague, he says Brig should ‘absolutely’ be higher than their current lowly position and isn't shy about his ambition, either.

McKenna said: "I've got confidence in my ability, my knowledge, the people around me. I've spoke to the owners. There's a new set of expectancy at the club.

"We are trying to take it in a new direction, it's going to be me at the helm. I'm going to live or die by my decisions and I appreciate that. That's sport.

"Ultimately, the aim is getting out of this league.

"You go up a league and I know there's some teams full time and stuff like that. I would love to get into management and do it as my full-time job. It would be great to be involved in match days again and have that buzz on a Saturday afternoon.

"But for the time being, let's not get too ahead of ourselves, we've got to put a run together and try and get us out of this situation, sooner rather than later."

McKenna’s first game on charge is at Gainsborough Trinity on Saturday, before his first home game comes against Bury on November 7.