Preston North End reunite with behind-the-scenes figure after Stoke City and Sunderland stints

Preston North End have reappointed Charlie Ager as the club’s Head of Performance Analysis.

His previous spell at Deepdale lasted almost five years, with Ager joining in November 2017 and moving on in July 2022. Ager followed former PNE manager Alex Neil to both Sunderland and Stoke City. His stint at the Black Cats was short, given that Neil moved to the Potters in August 2022.

Ager stayed there until the Scot was relieved of his duties this time last year. Neil is currently the clear favourite to take over as Millwall boss, but Ager won’t be heading there with him. His return to North End was confirmed three days ago.

He boasts 11+ years of experience in football analysis, having worked as Crewe Alexandra’s First Team Performance Analyst for four-and-a-half years. Ager then became Stoke’s Lead Academy Performance Analyst for just over a year, before making the switch to Preston.

The role entails overseeing and developing the process of analysing PNE’s training and match performance. Ager will work closely with North End’s First Team Performance Analysts, James McGown and Tom Hughes.