Preston North End legend hoping for 'agreement' this summer as 'big miss' verdict given

Preston North End legend Paul Gallagher will be gutted if Alan Browne leaves the club.

It has been the contract saga of 2024 for the Lilywhites, with PNE’s club captain set to become a free agent at the end of the month. Browne has been at North End since January 2014 and is 13th in the club’s all-time appearance list. Gallagher was a team mate of Browne’s for several years and celebrated promotion with him in 2015, from League One. The two then played alongside each other in the Championship, before the Scot transitioned into a coaching role in 2021.

Last summer saw Gallagher leave Ryan Lowe’s coaching team and reunite with former Preston boss Alex Neil, at Stoke City. Neil was sacked in December, but the Potters only recently parted ways with Gallagher. He still kept a close eye on PNE though and believes Browne would be very tough to replace, not only as a player but also person.

"Yeah, people are motivated by the financial side of it but I've known Alan a long time," Gallagher told BBC Lancashire. "He is a player I respect - honest, says what he thinks and leads by example on the pitch. Off the pitch, he lives his life as a family man. Playing 400 games for Preston is an unbelievable achievement and in my opinion, Preston North End is the right fit for Alan Browne. It represents who he is, the same DNA.

“And I just hope that he does stay, because Alan is a Preston legend. He sets the standard and people look up to him. With Alan, he is a different animal in my opinion - hungry and he will find a way to get into the team (if he does leave). Players like Alan don't come around very often. He's more of a back-in-the-day kind of player, who wears his heart on his sleeve.

“Even when he is not playing his best, he will still influence a game and those around him because he's got that character. To play that many games for Preston and be available for that many games, is incredible. If he does leave, it will be a big miss for Preston because he represents the football club really well - with his mannerisms and the standards he sets around the place. I just hope they can get an agreement and he stays on.”