Preston saw Josh Earl turn in some promising display after entering the first-team in December, but then chose to loan him out in January.
A torrid display against Wycombe Wanderers in January appeared to convince Alex Neil into sending Earl away on loan, with a deadline day struck with Burton Albion.
Greg Cunningham’s return to the club meant the writing was on the wall for Earl, and Burton seemed like a curious move.
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Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink’s side are rooted to the bottom of the League One table, so this felt like a loan spell that would really challenge Earl.
On Saturday, Earl started at left back against high-flying Hull City, and helped the Brewers pick up a shock 1-0 win.
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Jonny Smith bagged a late winner, and Earl has been hailed for his part in helping Burton keep a clean sheet in a huge victory.
Fans took to Twitter to brand Earl ‘incredible’ and ‘superb’, feeling that he was man of the match and will now displace Colin Daniel as first-choice left back.
Others called him ‘excellent’ and ‘superb’, adding that he was calm on the ball and strong defensively – exactly what North End want to see.