Ryan Lowe, the manager of Preston North End, has an idea for the leadership team he wants to start the next year.
The Lilywhites’ manager, who will be gearing up for his third full season at Deepdale this summer, expressed his desire to add more “leaders” during the impending transfer window following Monday night’s loss to Leicester City. Additionally, the manager of North End will probably choose five players to make up the squad for the 2024–2025 season. Lowe wants them in charge of the locker room and to serve as a direct channel of communication between the coaching staff and the locker room.
According to Lowe, “I think it’s just come in.” We had several good boys who were captains and leaders when I played. We would plan player outings for the afternoons and evenings, making sure that everyone was together and having a good time. And we would investigate if someone was acting inappropriately. However, I believe that leadership groups have become more popular in recent years, and this season, I considered forming one. However, after that, there was a hint of, “Okay, do you put someone in there who the boys might not feel should be in there?” I’ve had to use caution when handling it.
“Listen, the boys’ leadership has done a great job. There are some decent boys there, and they have set a good example. However, I will set it up so that the following year, there will be a leadership group with a leadership captain who will coordinate and report back to us on everything. We have excellent relationships with every player and are spread out across one half of the building. When we ask them, they provide us with information, and we let them ask for what they require from us on their own during meetings. We’ve got it, sort of; we haven’t yet identified five or six viable leadership contenders, though it. But, next season that’s certainly what we’ll be doing.”
Who will be a part of the group is still up in the air. Next season, North End might be without its three out-of-contract players—Alan Browne, Ched Evans, and Greg Cunningham—who all fit the description of “leaders.” Brad Potts, Robbie Brady, and Ben Whiteman would probably be contenders, but Lowe knows he can’t alienate the rest of his team.
“Yes, when we do it, I will address the entire squad,” responded Lowe. “We will investigate this during our preseason trip. While we’re not in class, we always complete some coursework. Furthermore, I have certain expectations of leaders, including the need for them to properly equip and adapt. Thus, we will be examining a great deal of material. I place a lot of value on leadership abilities, and we have some excellent ones. However, it will probably be more beneficial for us to have four or five of them as opposed to just one or two.
