Wycombe's Gareth Ainsworth is the early favourite to become the new Preston manager, after Alex Neil was sacked on Sunday.
The Chairboys boss is the second-longest serving manager in the Sky Bet EFL having taken over at Adams Park in September 2012.
But he now tops the betting to be the new man at Deepdale, with Sky Bet pricing him at 5/1 to return to the club he started his professional playing career with and made more than 100 appearances for across three spells.
Next Preston Manager odds (via Sky Bet)
- Gareth Ainsworth 5/1
- Michael Appleton 8/1
- Daniel Stendel, Derek McInnes, Frankie McAvoy, Grant McCann 10/1
- Callum Davidson, Neil Harris 12/1
- Alan Pardew, Eddie Howe 14/1
Odds correct at 23:33 GMT (21/03/21)
Neil, who joined Preston in 2017, leaves the club 16th in the Sky Bet Championship table after a run of one win in nine league games.
North End currently sit in 16th place in the table, nine points clear of the relegation zone, but 18 adrift of the play-off places.
Frankie McAvoy will take up the position of interim head coach and work with Steve Thompson, Mike Pollitt and Paul Gallagher in taking the team for the remaining eight games of the season.
Midfielder Alan Browne, currently on international duty with the Republic of Ireland, said the players had let Neil down.
Asked about the news at an Ireland press conference on Sunday afternoon, Browne said: “I was pretty gutted earlier. He has been fantastic for me and my career, a lot of the lads at Preston as well.
“He did a fantastic job and us as players, ultimately we let him down as he’s not the one going out on the pitch, but he’s the one taking the criticism, so it's gutting for me.
“But I am here in the camp now and need to put all my focus on that and worry about that when I get back to my club.”
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