EFL pundit Callum Fowler believes Graham Alexander should be the next head coach of Preston North End following the sacking of Paul Heckingbottom.
The Lilywhites opted to part company with the former Barnsley and Sheffield United boss following a sixth defeat in seven matches which left the club second from bottom in the Championship.
Preston's dismal start to the campaign was a continuation of their torrid from at the end of the previous season with Heckingbottom's side winning just five of their 27 league games since the start of January.
Heckingbottom was backed in the summer transfer window with 10 new players and a total outlay of over £15million, but the club also witnessed the sales of key players Ben Whiteman and Milutin Osmajic to offset their spending.
Currently the favourites to suffer relegation from the Championship, Preston are hoping to make a swift job of finding Heckingbottom's successor and Alexander is one of several names to be linked.
Alexander made over 400 appearances across two stints for Preston and played a key role in the club's promotion from the Second Division under David Moyes in 1999/00.
The Coventry-born Scotland international had a brief tenure in the dugout at Deepdale as caretaker manager before venturing into full-time management with Fleetwood Town in 2012.
Alexander subsequently had spells at Scunthorpe United, Salford City, Motherwell, and MK Dons before taking the Bradford City job in November 2023, where he's achieved huge success.
The former Luton Town and Burnley defender guided the Bantams to promotion from League Two and orchestrated a promotion charge in League One, which culminated in a play-off semi-final defeat to Bolton Wanderers.
Alexander's progress at Valley Parade and his strong affiliation to Preston make him a likely candidate to take over at Deepdale, and Fowler believes the Lilywhites hierarchy should pursue the current Bradford boss over former Stockport County manager Dave Challinor, who is another contender for the role.
Speaking on the Pyramid Podcast, Fowler said: "I think they'll go for Dave Challinor, but I believe they should go for Graham Alexander though. Challinor is cheap and local so it makes a lot of sense, but Alexander is the one for me."
Fowler's co-host Tom Garratt replied: "I look at that and I think I'd rather be at Bradford. The project's better, they're just as big as a club or on the same level. It's like Rob Edwards going from Middlesbrough to Wolves: why would you do it?
"I think you could bring in Jesus and Preston still wouldn't stay up. They look pretty terrible at the moment."
Former Wolves and Luton Town chief Rob Edwards has also been linked to the PNE vacancy.
Edwards has been out of work since his surprise dismissal at Wolves earlier this summer and the 43-year-old is expected to be in the frame for a number of Championship jobs this season.
However, Garratt has urged caution on the calls to appoint Edwards, adding: "You don't want Edwards at the minute. You want a Sean Dyche of the Championship, whoever that may be, but you don't want Edwards in this situation."
