Preston North End have drawn up a three-person shortlist in their pursuit of a new manager as they head into the international break.

The Lilywhites pulled the trigger on Paul Heckingbottom’s tenure at Deepdale last weekend following a poor start to the season, with the former Sheffield United man joined out of the door by his assistant, Stuart McCall.

That left Jason Euell as the man in the hot seat temporarily as they travelled to Queens Park Rangers, with Preston squandering a 2-0 lead and man advantage over the hosts, managing to escape Loftus Road with a single point.

Three Names Revealed As Options

Heckingbottom’s sacking has led to numerous names be touted as potential options, with the most prominent being Bradford City manager Graham Alexander, which would become his second stint in charge in Lancashire, after briefly serving as a joint-caretaker alongside David Unsworth during his final season as a player.

Alexander addressed the rumours linking him with a switch over the Pennines earlier in the week, saying he had not paid much attention to the noise surrounding him and was focused on the job at hand with the Bantams.

However, talkSPORT have now revealed that Alexander, alongside Robbie Keane and Walsall boss Lee Grant, have made a shortlist to become the next permanent boss of Preston North End.

Former Tottenham forward Keane has been out of a job since the summer after leaving Hungarian giants Ferencváros, but has been considered for a return to management in the UK, having turned down an opportunity to manage Celtic.

Grant meanwhile has made a success with Walsall after taking over in the summer, with the former Huddersfield Town man being considered a ‘strong candidate’ to be appointed, according to talkSPORT.

Which Candidate Would Be Best?

Preston North End have now managed to whittle down the several names considered to be their next head coach down to three: Robbie Keane, Graham Alexander and Lee Grant, and they will hope they can identify the best one to lead them forward.

Keane’s profile has been perhaps boosted by his recent success with Ferencváros, winning a league and cup in his two seasons in Budapest, and with the door to a role with Celtic shut while Martin O’Neill remains in post, is a strong possibility if they can convince him.

Lee Grant would be a much more intriguing decision to make following his failure at Huddersfield Town, but his new role at Walsall has already seen him flourish enough to be brought into the conversation around Deepdale.

However, the most popular choice would, of course, be Graham Alexander, a club legend and someone who has overseen the revitalisation of a club in Bradford City that were floundering, much like Preston.

The Bantams were languishing in the lower mid-table of League Two when Alexander arrived at Valley Parade, and with a passionate fanbase rallying behind him, have now managed to gain promotion and, after the weekend’s results, have risen to the summit of League One.

That connection he has with the Lilywhites could be crucial in their hopes of poaching him away from Bradford, and does seem like the straightforward answer to who should be appointed to lead Preston going forward.