Preston fans may soon have to cope with seeing Alex Neil in charge of bitter rivals Burnley following the departure of Sean Dyche.
Look, we know that some North End supporters have washed their hands of the Neil era and are just focused on Ryan Lowe.
For us though, as unwavering fans of Neil and his work at Preston, seeing him manage Burnley would be a gut punch.
The Sun report that Neil is on Burnley’s radar should they suffer relegation to the Championship.
It’s understood that Neil’s ability to work on a tight budget – as we saw for years at Preston – appeals to Burnley.
Burnley sacked Sean Dyche earlier this month and are yet to appoint a replacement.
Former North End defender Mike Jackson finds himself in charge right now and could keep that role until the summer.
Neil would then be fighting with the likes of Chris Wilder, Carlos Carvalhal and Nathan Jones for the Burnley role.
It’s not all that long ago that Neil returned to management.
Having left Preston in March 2021, Neil returned to the dugout with League One side Sunderland in February.
The Scot has lost just once in 13 games as Sunderland boss and has a real chance of taking them back to the Championship.
Sunderland fans weren’t so sure on Neil at first but seem to have been won over quickly – just like many Preston fans were.
It sounds like Neil may have a decision to make though as Burnley could offer him a quick return to Lancashire this summer.
Having spent nearly four years as Preston boss, seeing Neil head to Burnley would sting for many.
This just goes to show how highly Neil is rated in the game though, with a current Premier League club casting admiring glances his way.