Saints boss Davidson is top target for Preston
ST JOHNSTONE chairman Steve Brown is braced for an approach from Preston North End for double cup-winning boss Callum Davidson.
The McDiarmid Park gaffer, who played for the Championship outfit, has emerged as the leading candidate with bookies for the vacant Deepdale post.
Preston have parted company with Frankie McAvoy, who lured Saints’ Northern Ireland midfielder Ali McCann south of the border in a £1.2million deadline day deal back in the summer.
Davidson has been installed as 7/2 second favourite behind Michael Carrick, who stepped into the Manchester United managerial hot seat briefly when Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was axed.
Former Chelsea boss Frank Lampard and his old England team-mate John Terry are also on the bookies’ shortlist.
Davidson, 45, is under contract with the Perth side until 2025. But if the English side decide that he is indeed their man, they’ll be prepared to meet Saints’ compensation demands.
Past Perth bosses Owen Coyle, Derek McInnes and Steve Lomas used Perth as a springboard to England.
Davidson is facing an injury pile-up and is keen to maximise his options in the window.
Former Scotland Under-21 cap Charlie Gilmour has been impressing after being farmed out to Alloa.
And Davidson could recall him from that loan next month, insisting he couldn’t have a better mentor than Wasps boss Barry Ferguson.
He said: “Barry was a very good midfielder and has been great for Charlie. He’ll be learning a lot about the position off him.”
Saints’ league clash with Ross County, called off on Saturday due to a waterlogged pitch, will be played on Wednesday, December 22, with a 7.45pm kick-off.