Championship club Preston are set to appoint former Norwich and Hamilton boss Alex Neil as their new manager.

Club officials spoke to the Scot, 36, following the departure of Simon Grayson to Sunderland.

Neil has been out of the game since March, when he was sacked by Norwich after 27 months at Carrow Road.

Previously he had spent two years at Hamilton, guiding the club into the Scottish Premiership in his first full season.

Neil led Norwich into the Premier League via the Championship play-offs in 2015, but the Canaries lasted only one season in the top flight before being relegated.

He will be Preston's youngest permanent manager since fellow Scot David Moyes, who was 34 when he took over as player-manager at Deepdale in 1998.