Football Season Guide

Death, taxes and Preston finishing mid-table in the Championship seemed to be three of life’s greatest certainties, but the 2024/25 season was a strange one that almost ended in calamity. It started in infamy when manager Ryan Lowe asked to leave just one game into the new campaign. The truth was that the club’s fanbase had already lost faith in the Liverpudlian, so the fact he was allowed to stay on through the summer and start the season seemed a baffling decision from the club. Bringing in Paul Heckingbottom as Lowe’s replacement looked a much more sensible choice from the board. A respected manager who had previously achieved promotion at Sheffield United, but even he couldn’t raise North End above mid-table mediocrity. An impressive run to the quarter-finals of the FA Cup was the highlight of Heckingbottom’s reign but it also may have served as a distraction. PNE’s league form dipped dramatically towards the tail-end of the season and the inevitable mid-table finish was no longer guaranteed. A draw at Bristol City on the final day of the season saw the club achieve safety by just a solitary point. The summer has seen some prominent names depart, including two of their three top scorers from last season in Emil Riis and Sam Greenwood. First choice goalkeeper Freddie Woodman has joined Premier League champions Liverpool and midfielder Ryan Ledson has ended his long tenure at the club. Preston have never been big spenders, often relying on loan deals and free transfers. Versatile defender Odeluga Offiah, signed from Premier League club Brighton, is the only player the club have spent money on so far this summer. The rest of PNE’s business has seen shrewd signings of seasoned Championship campaigners like goalkeeper Daniel Iverson from Leicester and midfielder Jordan Thompson from Stoke. Full-back Pol Valentín and striker Michael Smith both arrive from Sheffield Wednesday, whilst Thierry Small is an exciting prospect from Championship newcomers Charlton.