It’s a season of reunions in the north west, with Graham Alexander turning up to Deepdale to take over the club he spent over a decade at over two spells.

The former North End player was joined by another cult hero Chris Lucketti as his number two – just as he has been at all of his previous jobs.

There’s been another reunion in the North West, in the Preston vicinity, at the Bamber Bridge stadium.

Former Preston and Bamber Bridge midfielder Paul McKenna has been announced as the new Brig manager on Monday. 

Making over 400 appearances for the Lilywhites, McKenna was a well-loved figure at Deepdale, becoming one of the most defining and integral players during the 2000s.

He would eventually leave to go to Nottingham Forest where he would become captain before going to Hull City, then Fleetwood. 

The Eccleston-born midfielder would make one appearance at Bamber Bridge in the 2014-15 season, retiring from football in December 2015. 

A coaching role at Longridge Town beckoned, alongside former teammate Lee Ashcroft was called into action once, where he had to reinstate his priority was coaching rather than playing. 

McKenna made his debut for Preston in 1996 after coming through the academy, making four league appearances in the 96-97 season under Gary Peters.

More minutes would come in the 1998-99 season under David Moyes, making 36 league appearances in the season before the club was promoted to the second tier.

From then on, McKenna would become a mainstay in the Preston for a decade, experiencing highs and lows of play-off defeats and mid-table mediocrity.

The effort levels and performances were never questioned by the fanbase, as the Preston fans could identify themselves with a local product and grow with him. 

It was heartbreaking when he left in 2009, some might say he was never truly replaced, others will say he was reincarnated into Ben Pearson in 2015 – a player that embodied everything McKenna was about.