Bradford City have "reluctantly" given Preston North End permission to speak to Graham Alexander about becoming their next manager.

In just short of three years at Valley Parade, former Scotland international Alexander has taken the Bantams out of League Two, into last season's League One play-offs, and now has them top of League One.

But the 54-year-old is based in the north west, and made over 400 appearances in two spells for the Lilywhites as a player.

His assistant at Valley Parade, Chris Lucketti, played more than 200 times for the club.

The BBC are reporting Alexander is one of two candidates for the Deepdale manager’s job, which has been vacant for nearly a fortnight.

Alexander was joint-caretaker manager with David Unsworth towards the end of his second spell in 2011-12. After retiring from playing aged 40 at the end of that season.

He took his first steps in full-time coaching there as the club's head of youth development.

His managerial career with Fleetwood Town, Scunthorpe United, Salford City, Motherwell and Milton Keynes Dons earned him a reputation as a canny lower-league operator, and his time at Bradford has only enhanced that.

PERMISSION: Bradford City have allowed manager Graham Alexander to speak to Preston North End (Image: Tony Johnson)

placeholder image — PERMISSION: Bradford City have allowed manager Graham Alexander to speak to Preston North End (Image: Tony Johnson)

Alexander and Lucketti took over in November 2023, following the sacking of Mark Hughes, and took time to get to grips with the job before ending the campaign with six wins and a draw from the final seven matches, form which almost took them to the play-offs.

That they missed out meant a sixth season in the fourth tier, but Alexander was able to turn around an at-times negative mindset to playing at home, as their form at Valley Parade became the cornerstone of his success.

They won automatic promotion in dramatic fashion in 2025, Antoni Sarcevic's winner in the sixth minute of injury-time against his and Alexander's former club Fleetwood clinching third place.

Preston sacked former Barnsley, Leeds United and Sheffield United manager Paul Heckingbottom on September 13 after a poor end to last season bled into this, with six defeats in seven Championship matches.

DEEPDALE FAVOURITE: Graham Alexander(Image:: Ross Kinnaird/ALLSPORT)

Eight games into the season Preston are 23rd in the table, only above Lancashire rivals Burnley on goal difference.

In all, they have taken just 17 points from half a season’s worth of games, stretching back to early February. That is four points fewer than Watford's 23-game tally, the next-worst performing team of those who have been in the Championship throughout 2026.

Preston's next game is not due to be until October 10, when they are at home to Millwall, giving Heckingbottom's replacement some time to bed in his ideas on the training ground with those players not on international duty.

The Bantams have won their last five matches in all competitions and as things stand, are due to swap places with Preston at the end of the season, although there is considerable water to pass under the bridge.

Their next game is due to be at Reading on October 3, after this Saturday's scheduled match at Barnsley was postponed because of international call-ups.