"If I am being honest" - Simon Grayson issues claim on Alan Browne's Preston North End future as Coventry circle | OneFootball

Former Preston North End manager Simon Grayson has delivered his verdict on Lilywhites captain Alan Browne potentially moving away from Deepdale this summer.

Grayson was in charge at Preston between 2013 and 2017 and was therefore the boss when Browne first arrived at the club in January 2014.

Browne's contract expires this summer and the club have offered him a new one, but as yet no agreement has been announced.

It was revealed by journalist Alan Nixon earlier in the week that both Coventry City and Sheffield United are interested in signing Browne, so it is set to be a summer of big decisions for the midfielder.

Grayson believes Preston will be desperate to keep Browne

The former Lilywhites manager was the one to bring Browne into the fold and oversaw the early years of his Preston career.

Speaking exclusively to Football League World via freebets.com, Grayson gave his reaction to the news of Browne's potential departure.

He said: “It’s a tough one because he’s part of the furniture, isn’t he? He’s had an unbelievable career at Preston and he was a joy to work with from the day that he walked in trying to get a contract, to playing regularly in the first team, and then going to the level of being captain and there nearly ten years.

“Again, sometimes players need a new challenge. Do they want to just try something new? Or do they want to go down the legendary route of being a one-club man and being held in such high esteem for the rest of their careers with that particular club?

“So, it is a difficult one to answer because Coventry did well, if he’s been linked with them, last year. But so did Preston, narrowly tailing away at the end with the play-offs. “Sheffield United would be lucky to bounce back if that’s another club that are interested in him.

“So, he won’t be short of admirers, and I know that Preston and Peter [Ridsdale, PNE director] will be desperate to keep him because of how much they like Alan and what he brings to the football club in general, not just on the pitch, but behind the scenes and the character that he is.

“If he left it’d be a big disappointment, but for him, it might be a new challenge. I wouldn’t know which way that’ll go if I’m being honest. I know that’s sitting on the fence, but I don’t know what he’s thinking of doing.”

Preston should do what they can to keep Browne

According to an interview given by Peter Risdale in recent days, the Lilywhites have given themselves the best possible chance of holding onto their captain this summer by offering him a "very generous" contract.

It would appear a sensible move and is a sign of how important he is to the club. Over the course of last season, the Preston captain appeared 41 times in the league, scoring four goals and providing a further four assists.

To replace that consistency and behind-the-scenes leadership in one go, having had Browne around the club for over a decade, would be no simple task, and with the midfielder still only 29 years old, he still has plenty of years left in his career.

It would be a painful exit for the team and fans alike, but for him to move to a club in the same division, considering Preston weren't a million miles off the play-offs this term, would add insult to injury.

It seems that Preston have already done all they can do to keep him at the club and the decision will now fall to the player. As Grayson recognised, it will depend heavily on Browne's motivations and whether he needs a fresh challenge, or wants to confirm his legendary status at Deepdale.