Leeds United are enjoying stability under manager Daniel Farke over the last few years, but a former Whites boss has just been handed his eviction notice.
Stability is one of the buzzwords at Leeds over the last few years, as Farke got them back into the Premier League and then secured safety in a comfortable last season.
Leeds look like one of those Premier League teams who are stable behind the scenes and have a clear identity under the German, who has had to do his fair bit of firefighting in the last 18 months to secure his position at Elland Road.
However, a former Leeds boss hasn’t had that luck, and he has just been sacked by a club in the Championship after a terrible start to the season.
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Former Leeds boss loses job in the Championship
Paul Heckingbottom was briefly in charge of Leeds in 2018. He joined on an 18-month contract in February 2018 but was sacked four months later.
His departure paved the way for Marcelo Bielsa to take charge, with the Argentine quickly becoming a cult hero at Elland Road before guiding Leeds back to the Premier League in 2020.
Heckingbottom had spells at Hibernian and Sheffield United before joining Preston North End in 2024. However, he was sacked by the Championship club earlier today.
They have lost six of their opening seven Championship games of the season, and the 1-0 home defeat to Lincoln City on Saturday was the nail in the coffin.
Preston issued a statement and said: “Preston North End Football Club have today taken the decision to part company with Paul Heckingbottom as First Team Football Manager.
“Football is a results business, and despite significant investment in the playing squad since Paul joined, the results during 2026 and the start of this current campaign have not been acceptable.
“Paul leaves us with our thanks and best wishes. His professionalism and work ethic during his time with us have been second to none.
“As a result of this decision, Stuart McCall has also left the Club today. We similarly thank Stuart for his contribution over the last two years and wish him all the best for the future.
“We will now look to appoint a new manager as soon as possible, but until such time as we do, Jason Euell will take charge of first team matters on an interim basis.”
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He remains an experienced manager and will bounce back
His spell at Leeds was short and unremarkable as he guided an average Leeds squad to a midtable finish in the Championship.
Heckinbottom remains a hugely experienced manager at that level and will soon have takers in the Championship or League One in the coming months.
His experience and expertise at that level will come in handy for any club looking to survive in the Championship or get promoted for League One.
