Preston North End can confirm they have been informed by Sunderland Football Club that Simon Grayson has agreed to take up the vacant manager’s position at the Stadium of Light.
Simon will be joined at the Black Cats by his assistant at Deepdale Glynn Snodin, with the Wearside club paying the contracted compensation for both men to the Lilywhites.
The club would like to place on record its thanks to Simon and Glynn for their hard work and service over the past four years, taking the team back into the Championship and then leading them to two top half finishes.
The club will now begin the search for a new manager to take the club forward and achieve its stated ambition of getting to the Premier League.
Current first team coach Steve Thompson will continue to look after first team affairs whilst this process in undertaken.