Former Preston North End caretaker boss David Unsworth has decided to leave Everton in an attempt to become a manager in his own right.
Unsworth had a great playing career with Everton but actually started his coaching career with Preston.
Born in Chorley, Unsworth became a developmental coach at Preston under Alan Irvine, then moving up to first-team coach under Darren Ferguson.
Unsworth served as caretaker after Ferguson’s exit in 2010, and then again when Phil Brown was sacked a year later.
Unsworth and Graham Alexander looked set to land the job on a permanent basis but Preston instead chose to appoint Graham Westley.
Westley’s arrival was the end of the line for Unsworth as he returned to Sheffield United in the 2012-13 season.
Since then, Unsworth has been back with Everton, working with their Under-21’s as an assistant coach and then their manager.
After nearly nine years at Everton, which included two caretaker manager roles and serving as the club’s academy director, Unsworth has decided to leave the Toffees.
Unsworth has today announced that he is leaving Everton in order to pursue his ambition of becoming a first-team manager elsewhere, over 10 years since he lost out on the Preston job.
Could Preston run into Unsworth any time soon?
It seems unlikely that Unsworth will be able to walk straight into a Championship job but the likes of Bristol City, Queens Park Rangers and Stoke City could be seeking a new boss this summer.
We would instead expect a move into League One or League Two for Unsworth. Crewe Alexandra want a new boss and Fleetwood Town could replace Stephen Crainey, for instance.
Unsworth will hope to move up the pyramid once he becomes a manager, and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him manage in a league game against Preston one day