Preston North End manager Ryan Lowe 'let down' by Paul Gallagher ahead of Stoke City move

Gallagher seems set to reunite with former boss Alex Neil with the Potters, just under two years since he took up a coaching role with North End.

The 38-year-old is a legend at Deepdale, having played over 300 times for the club, helping them win promotion from League One in 2015.

He joined the coaching staff in 2021, initially on a temporary basis as Frankie McAvoy was put in caretaker charge of the first team. When that was made permanent, so was Gallagher’s transition to a coach and he remained on the staff after the Scot’s departure, teaming up with Lowe.

Now, however, it seems his 11-year association with the Lilywhites is coming to an end, subject to compensation for his services being met.

Lowe said: “I'm disappointed in terms of how it's going to unfold or how it's unfolded. Gal wanted a different challenge, through his agent, he said he wanted to move on to a different agent which is fine. I felt a little bit let down, to be honest, me and Mike Marsh.

"We coached him for 18 months and gave him everything we wanted for him to be better. He's a fantastic young coach, a top lad. I'm disappointed with how it's gone but listen, until the football club who is after him pay the compensation, it works both ways.

"Hopefully that will be resolved in the next few days and once it's resolved, I can look further down the line to replace him and he can look ahead to his new challenge, and I'll wish him all the best.

"Ultimately, until that happens, we can't really do anything about it but I'm sure it will over the next few days.”

Gallagher was absent from PNE’s 7-0 win over Bamber Bridge in their first pre-season game of the summer, with his upcoming move apparent.

Lowe feels it’s impossible for his coach to work alongside him when he has made his feelings clear on where he sees his future.

He said: “When you want a new challenge and you want to go away and you want to move somewhere else, you can't obviously come back to work, can you?

"Hopefully it'll get sorted over the next couple of days and we'll wish Gally all the best. I've not got a bad word to say about him.

"I'm disappointed with how it's happened and how it's come about, which will stay private, but ultimately it's football. Coaches come and go, managers come and go and players come and go.”