Former Preston North End winger David Eyres on David Moyes' change from player to manager at Deepdale

David Eyres celebrates scoring for Preston North End against Millwall in May 2000

Title-winning former Preston North End winger David Eyres still cannot fathom the overnight change in David Moyes’ personality when transitioning from team-mate to boss.

The Scottish defender took charge at Deepdale in 1998, succeeding Gary Peters.

Moyes knocked his playing days on the head just six weeks into his new role.

David Eyres (left) and David Moyes during a training session at Preston

Eyres said: “The player-assistant manager was David Moyes, who then became manager. The lads used to laugh about it – he’s certainly a much better manager than what he ever was as a player!

“He was a good player. I remember him celebrating a goal against Notts County like he’d scored in the FA Cup final.

“But I’ve never known anyone change like he did from being a player and team-mate to becoming manager.

“He was totally focused and driven, I’ve never known anyone as knowledgeable as that at such a young age in terms of coaching and we were so successful with him.”

Eyres recalled the moment Moyes called the squad into a meeting and handed each and every player an ultimatum.

The message was straight to the point: ‘You’re either with me, or against me!’ From that moment Moyes had everyone singing from the same hymn sheet.

Eyres said: “In his first meeting he said, ‘If anybody isn’t prepared to work with me then you can walk out’.

Everybody stayed in, we jumped on board, he was tough, he demanded the best, he was a disciplinarian who made you know about it if you stepped out of line.

“But he did things his way and he was hands on with everything.

“He was tough to get on with at times, everything was black and white, but he was always straight with you.

“The respect for him was there and we got on with it.”

After steering North End to safety in his first half-a-season as manager, Moyes would start to prove that his methods were effective.

Reaching the play-off semi-final in his first full season in charge showed PNE was moving in the right direction.

Then they were crowned champions in 1999/2000.

“He was well up the ladder in terms of qualifications before I’d even got to Preston and all the hard work he’d been doing in the background came to fruition,” said Eyres.