Ryan Lowe has admitted his only regret over leaving Preston North End was the timing, departing after just one game of the 2024/25 season. His candid reflection comes as Millwall prepare to visit Deepdale this weekend, with Preston currently 23rd in the Championship table. Lowe said he felt he had taken the club as far as he could and needed to protect himself and his family at the time of his exit by mutual consent.

"I do regret leaving after one game," Lowe said. "But what I had to do was protect myself and my family at that time." He explained that a pre-season conversation with chief executive Peter Ridsdale had led him to contemplate leaving, and his gut instinct after an opening day 2-0 home loss to Sheffield United was to go immediately. Lowe believes his view that Preston could not reach the next level with the budgets and squad available has been proven right by the club's finishes in the seasons since.

Lowe’s Preston tenure and successor’s fate

Lowe became Preston manager in December 2021 and led the team to two top-half Championship finishes, including a 12th-place finish in his second full season. His successor, Paul Heckingbottom, was sacked last month after one win in the opening seven games of this season. Heckingbottom had registered finishes of 20th and 14th during his two-year tenure, with Lowe pointing to those struggles as evidence of the quality of his own work at Deepdale. He noted that Heckingbottom only survived to keep the club in the Championship on the final day of the season following his own departure.

Reflections on Wigan and managerial outlook

Lowe also discussed his subsequent spell at Wigan Athletic, where he was given a three-and-a-half year deal but sacked in less than twelve months. He said the club met its first-year target of consolidation but lacked the budget to compete and kick on in the second season, missing out on key players. "The only regret was doing it one game in," he reiterated about his Preston exit. Lowe acknowledged his sacking at Wigan was his first and understood it due to poor results, though he felt performances and data were acceptable.

For Millwall, currently 11th with 11 points from eight games, the insight into Preston's recent managerial instability is pertinent ahead of Saturday's trip. Gary Rowett's side have drawn their last two matches and will be looking to improve a recent form line of one win in five. The match at Deepdale kicks off on Saturday, 10 October 2026.

Read the full report at Lancashire Evening Post