Ex-Blackpool, Preston North End and Leeds United boss reveals how dropping close friend helped him to discover his ruthless streak

The 52-year-old initially started his time at Bloomfield Road as a player, making 148 appearances in Tangerine between 2002 and 2006.

His first coaching opportunity came with the Seasiders’ reserves while he was still a regular in the first-team, but following the departure of Colin Hendry, he was handed the top job.

Speaking to the PNE Pod: The Official Preston North End Podcast, Grayson admitted he had some tough decisions to make throughout his early days in the role, with one of them involving ex-Bristol City and Exeter City defender Rob Edwards during his playing days on the Fylde Coast.

“First and foremost, I’m forever grateful that Blackpool gave me the opportunity to have the career since I packed in playing,” he said.

“I’ve been a coach for 18 years, nearly 800 games - they gave me that pathway.

“It was really weird as your first job, you’re in a dressing room with a load of your mates, and the next game you’re dropping them and stuff like that. I learnt very quickly you have to be ruthless. 

“That’s one thing I thought I might not have in me when I first started out, that I could make some real tough decisions, but I thought if I’m going to be a success in this line or work now, I have to do whatever it takes to make Simon Grayson a good manager. 

“I’ll always remember dropping Rob (Edwards) and then letting him go. He said to me: ‘You haven’t got a better centre-half than me on the books.’

“’I’ll be the judge of that,’ I said.”

“I was really close to Rob at the time. I saw him a few years later, or a year later, and I said to him that I now had two better centre-halves than him, but he was good about it and we had a bit of craic about it. That was the hardest part, learning to deal with ruthless decisions.”

Grayson would enjoy a successful first stint as Blackpool boss, guiding the club to the Championship via the League One play-offs in 2007.

He later coached Leeds United, Huddersfield Town, Preston North End, Sunderland and Bradford City before returning to Bloomfield Road in 2019.

His second spell in charge of the Seasiders was less successful, and was sacked after seven months.

Since then, he has held roles with Fleetwood Town and Indian Super League side Bengaluru.