'Step up' - Preston North End faithful react to appointment of former Leeds United and Sheffield United man

Preston North End have appointed Paul Heckingbottom as their new manager. The 47-year-old has become the Lilywhites’ successor to Ryan Lowe after they parted ways with the Liverpudlian just one game into the new 2024/25 campaign.

Heckingbottom, who is from Yorkshire, guided previous club Sheffield United to promotion to the Premier League last year before he was dismissed this past winter. He has also had spells in the dugouts at Barnsley, Leeds United and Hibernian in the past.

He will be joined at Preston by Stuart McCall as his assistant, with his first game in charge is this weekend’s clash against Luton Town at Deepdale. Here is a look at how supporters have reacted on X to the news...

@iampav - “Class. Strikes a great tone about mentality and effort. It's the minimum the fans demand. Welcome Paul Heckingbottom”

@pneste - “Welcome Paul, good luck in the new role!”

@WLBennett - “Excellent appointment, wishing him every success. A few tweaks needed to balance the squad, more pace and better defensive options, midfield and forward line he’s more than enough to compete and be competitive at the upper end of the division.”

@JamesWorden85 - “May not be an appointment to everyone's tastes but there's no denying he's a huge step up from Lowe.”

@CasualsNorthern - “At last a proper manager who fans can relate to. Let’s get behind him”

@StuartPike1985 - “I think this is the right appointment with where we are at right now. I already like him with just the way he speaks.”

@Tinytimcrowther - “Time for everyone to stop moaning & get behind the management team & the squad. COYW”

@RobertBell1993 - “Welcome to North End, Paul, you will have my full support”

@ZakGoulders - “Class manager, first time in a long time we’ve brought in someone proven at our level. If he can get the best at of our players, as well as being backed in a few key areas, there’s no reason to not be challenging play offs”

@Anonymouspnefc - “Welcome Paul and Stuart, us fans will get behind the team if we start seeing improvements in performances”

@Liamfell2010 - “Good luck Heckingbottom. Come on lads get behind this and push on. Regardless of who and what people wanted. Time to rally everyone up and pull in the same direction. Come on you whites!!”

@Dillonmillward3 - “Reckon we could actually get behind the gaffer this time lads?”

Following his Preston move, Heckingbottom has said: “I’m really delighted with it, ready to go, and champing at the bit really. It’s a club I know well for lots of reasons and a league I know well, so it was a pretty easy decision.

“Experience is key. Knowing the players helps, and then having success in this league helps, so we know what it takes to compete. We know what it takes to do well and you can give that clear direction to try and get there, and that’s the aim.

“The short-term goals are to get back on track. Longer term, we want to be a really, really competitive team in this league. We want to play in a way the fans can enjoy and in a way that gets the best out of the players, and when you get that it can be really powerful.”