Thompson going nowhere as far as PNE concerned

It has been claimed that former Lilywhites manager Simon Grayson wants to be reunited with Thompson at the Stadium of Light.

They worked together at North End for two seasons and also at Blackpool when Grayson started out in management.

Sources at Deepdale say there has been no contact from the Black Cats for Thompson.

And whether he would be tempted to leave PNE where he is settled, remains to be seen.

When Grayson (above) left North End to take the Black Cats job in the summer, he took No.2 Glynn Snodin and scout Ian Miller with him.

Snodin is currently out of action due to illness, hence Grayson reportedly looking for another pair of hands on his coaching staff.

Thompson is well thought of in football circles and is a popular figure at Deepdale.

He joined the North End backroom team in July 2015 as the club prepared for their return to the Championship, replacing John Dreyer.

The 52-year-old started coaching at Blackpool’s school of excellence before becoming head of youth there.

When Grayson became the Seasiders manager in 2006, he appointed Thompson as his first-team coach.

Thompson stayed with Blackpool when Grayson went to Leeds in December 2008.

He was the assistant to Ian Holloway when Blackpool got to the Premier League and had a couple of spells as caretaker manager.

Thompson left Bloomfield Road in 2014 to become assistant to Chris Powell at Huddersfield.

Then he had a spell as No.2 to Leeds United head coach Neil Redfearn.

It was after leaving Leeds that Thompson was reunited with Grayson at PNE.

The North End coaching staff has seen changes over the last three months.

Soon after his arrival, Alex Neil brought in Frankie 
McAvoy as a first-team coach, a title he jointly holds with Thompson.

McAvoy, who had worked with Neil at Norwich, filled the vacancy left by Snodin’s exit.

Joe Savage was brought in as head of recruitment, while Dean Kiely was appointed as goalkeeper coach last month in succession to Alan Kelly, who left the club in August.

Like McAvoy, both Kiely and Savage were part of Neil’s backroom staff at Carrow Road.