Preston North End snap up young coach following Wigan Athletic departure

The 33-year-old former Accrington, Wycombe and Morecambe defender - who was forced to retire from the game early due to injury - had worked his way up the ranks during his five-year stint with Latics.

Liverpool-born Murphy served as chief scout and Under-18s and Under-21s boss before joining the first-team coaching staff under Leam Richardson.

He left Wigan towards the end of last term and has been snapped up by Ryan Lowe's Preston.

“Peter arrives with experience of coaching ever since having to retire early as a player and he’s very well thought of in the game," said Lowe.

“We’ve been looking at bringing somebody in who can bring something new to the party and Peter’s skillset is what we’ve been looking for.

“Having worked with different age groups at Wigan Athletic, he’s helped produce some top young talents and that’s what we want to do here at Preston North End.

“We’ve got a lot of good youngsters in and around the first team who will need some time to develop, and that’s what Peter can offer.

“He will also help with first team sessions of course, with a particular focus on helping us with our set plays.”

During his time with Latics, Murphy worked with the likes of Joe Gelhardt, Jensen Weir and Alfie Devine, whose moves to the Premier League in the summer of 2020 helped to save the club during administration.