Ex-Preston North End captain Callum Davidson lands new role with Millwall

Callum Davidson in his PNE days with striker David Nugent (left)

Davidson, who played for PNE between July 2004 and March 2011, will be assistant manager to Gary Rowett at The Den.

Rowett was appointed Millwall manager on Monday night, succeeding Neil Harris who left the London club earlier this month.

In his last job as Stoke boss, Rowett had Davidson on his coaching staff.

They had been friends since their playing days together at Leicester.

Davidson joined North End on a Bosman in the summer of 2004, brought to Deepdale by Craig Brown.

He made 181 appearances in a Preston shirt, scoring 22 goals – in particular he had an eye for a penalty.

For the last 18 months at PNE, Davidson was the club’s skipper – taking over when Paul McKenna left.

He was released by North End a few months before his contract was due to run out, with him returning to play for St Johnstone where he had started his career.

Davidson later joined the coaching staff there and had five years on the Perth club’s staff. He left there to go to Stoke with Rowett in June 2018.

But they lasted only seven months in the Potteries and left after a poor run of results.

Davidson, 43, had a short spell on Dunfermline’s staff but left in the summer.

After taking the Millwall job, Rowett said: “Callum will be assistant manager.

“He likes to coach and wants to work. I have known him for more than 20 years so there is a big element of trust there.

“Callum is a really good coach, he’s worked at St Johnstone.

“He got asked to work with the senior Scotland squad, that shows his ability on the grass.

“Callum wants to make players better.

“We trust each other and have worked together before.”

Millwall are one of four clubs in the Championship to change managers this season.

Huddersfield, Barnsley and Reading are the others, with Barnsley still to appoint Daniel Stendel’s replacement.

Rowett landed the Millwall job ahead of former Preston favourite Gareth Ainsworth and Adam Barrett who had been caretaker manager.

Wycombe boss Ainsworth was on a three-man shortlist and has also caught the eye of Sunderland who appointed Phil Parkinson last week.