It’s never easy seeing them leave and not return, but plenty of Preston North End’s loan signings in recent years have been a hit.
From them all, though, who makes a XI of the best PNE loan men from the last decade? We have had a go at picking ours here, with a particularly tough selection between the sticks. It is probably best to forget formations too, given the lack of defensive and central midfield options and abundance of attacking talent to choose from.
Starting at 2013/14 and working forward to present day, here’s what we’ve gone for!
1. GK: Daniel Iversen
It seems ridiculous not to pick Jordan Pickford, who made some utterly bonkers saves in a PNE shirt - and Sam Johnstone was excellent too. But Iversen had an incredible season-and-a-half at North End, single-handedly winning the team several points and scooping the Player of the Year award for 2021/22. Some of his stops left you speechless - and a fantastic, humble character too.
2. DEF: Sepp van den Berg
The Dutchman was a pleasure to watch in a Preston shirt - exceeding all expectations really and stepping on to the Championship stage with no fear at all. Van den Berg was a Rolls Royce of a defender at times and it's been no surprise to see him go on to play in Germany's top division. Will always be remembered fondly for his time at Deepdale.
3. DEF: Alex Baptiste
A real steady Eddie under Simon Grayson, during the 2016/17 season. Came in late in the summer transfer window and did a job for the team. Scored three goals in his 24 appearances for North End - including a memorable header at Norwich City.
4. DEF: Alvaro Fernandez
Now doing the business for Benfica, the Spaniard was a breath of fresh air during last season. He never scored for North End, but Fernandez was often a livewire for Ryan Lowe's side down that left flank. The fans loved him pretty much immediately and that love was reciprocated. Gave it his absolute all every match.