Tuesday 4 July 2017 17:39, UK
Alex Neil has been confirmed as the new manager of Preston North End on a rolling 12-month contract.
Sky Sports News HQ reported on Monday that he had been interviewed for the job, along with a number of other candidates, but Preston have decided to hand the former Norwich manager the role.
The club have released a statement saying the 36-year-old will be unveiled at a press conference at Deepdale on Wednesday afternoon.
"I've looked at this opportunity and seen that the club has made progress for four years running and I am looking forward to trying to continue that progress," Neil told www.pnefc.net.
"It is a really good challenge for me. I have been involved in a lot of big games in a short space of time and hopefully we can be involved in a lot more big games here at Preston North End.
"Taking over a job in this situation means we have a confident squad that have been performing well over the last couple of seasons.
"There will not be a task of trying to lift the players, they have shown they are a good team and they can compete at this level and my job is to come in and try and help them improve as individuals and improve us as a club and hopefully try and push further up the league."
Neil says he wants to try and take Preston to the next level and build a team that is capable of challenging at the top end of the Sky Bet Championship table.
"The ultimate aim for any club in the Championship is to try and get promoted at some stage," he added.
"The club has been stable in the Championship for the last two years and you never know what is going to happen in the next year or two, but we want to try and build a side and a squad that is capable of competing at the top end of the Championship and if we can get a bit of momentum, you never know where you can end up.
"There will be players who are quite pleased that everyone is on a level field and there will be players who feel they have already shown their worth to the previous manager, but the good thing for every one of them is the fact that I am coming in fresh.
"I will judge everyone fairly and they will all have to try and impress me to make sure they are getting themselves into the team for the first game of the season. I think that is refreshing. I think it is something for me and them to look forward to."
Neil left Scottish Premiership side Hamilton to take over as Norwich boss in January 2015 and guided the Canaries to the Premier League that season via the Championship play-off final after they beat Middlesbrough 2-0 at Wembley.
However, they were relegated after just one season and the Scot was sacked as Norwich manager in March with the Carrow Road side nine points off the play-off places.
Simon Grayson left his role as Preston boss to take over at Sunderland last week.
