“We’ve got as exciting a squad as we’ve had since I’ve been here”: Ali McCann's confidence in PNE squad
PNE’s new captain cannot wait for the Championship season to start on Saturday.
Preston North End skipper Ali McCann believes they go into the new Championship season with arguably the best squad at their disposal during his time at Deepdale.
PNE’s 2026/27 league campaign starts at Bolton Wanderers on Saturday (12.30pm), with Paul Heckingbottom’s players looking to improve upon 14th position last time out.
They make the short journey to a Bolton team back in the second tier after seven years away, having won the League One play-offs last season.
It is McCann’s sixth season with the club, making him one of the elder statesmen and well suited to assessing PNE’s potential.
He told the Post: “I don’t think you can get better than a derby, an early kick-off and a sold-out away end.
“It’s always difficult playing against promoted teams because they have that momentum behind them.
“It’s our job to go and spoil that a little bit. I think we’ve got as exciting a squad as we’ve had since I’ve been here.
“We’ve got a good blend of older players and younger lads, the likes of Andy (Moran), Alfie (Devine) and Thierry (Small).”
While North End’s short hop down the M6 and M61 launches the league season, it comes seven days after they began 2026/27 with Carabao Cup victory against Huddersfield Town.
It was the first time since 2020/21 that the League Cup kicked off PNE’s season, with the summer pitch work at Deepdale meaning a change of venue to Goodison Park.
Lewis Gibson’s red card, followed by Huddersfield’s opener, left Heckingbottom’s players up against it before Jusef Erabi’s stoppage-time goal forced penalties.
North End won 4-3 on spot-kicks, though playing a ‘home’ game at a neutral venue - with a crowd of 6,120 - made it something of a surreal experience.
“It was weird but it was good in a way,” McCann acknowledged.
“No one likes friendlies, they serve a purpose, but getting that competitive feeling makes it feel like a proper game - and for it to finish the way it did and get a win.
“The manner of it as well; being down to 10 men, builds the excitement.”
This season will be the first in which the Championship has an expanded play-off format, featuring six teams instead of the previous four.
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The theory is it increases the number of competitive fixtures later in the season for those teams with designs on reaching the Premier League.
This season’s hopefuls include Wolves - PNE’s first home league opponents - along with similarly relegated Burnley and West Ham United, as well as clubs including Birmingham City, Wrexham, Middlesbrough and Southampton.
It will be North End’s 12th consecutive Championship season and while they have a tricky start, McCann maintains that experience will stand them in good stead.
“Bolton and Wolves are similar to playing Ipswich, Leicester and Middlesbrough early last season,” he said.
“It will be tough but the Championship is a really hard league for everyone involved.
“We’ve been in this league for years, so we know what it’s all about.”