Preston have secured their sixth signing of the summer by handing a one-year deal to Bamber Bridge playmaker Jamie Thomas.
North End had already snapped up Izzy Brown and Matthew Olosunde, as well as re-signing last season’s loanees Daniel Iversen, Sepp van den Berg and Liam Lindsay.
Thomas now joins until 2021 with the option of another year at Deepdale, capping off a remarkable story.
The 24-year-old was once on the books of Blackpool, Bolton Wanderers and Burnley before falling out of the game and heading into non-league.
After spells with AFC Blackpool and Squires Gate, Thomas joined Bamber Bridge this summer, where he bagged two goals in a pre-season friendly against Preston.
That was enough to convince Preston to take on him on trial, and impressive showings against Accrington Stanley and Wigan Athletic have resulted in a permanent deal for Thomas.
This is a stunning return to professional, full-time football for Thomas, and teammates from his past have been taking to Instagram to react.
One of his former Bolton teammates, Arsenal star Rob Holding, stated ‘Love to see it brother, congrats!’ after seeing Thomas sign his Preston deal.
Liverpool defender Nat Phillips, who also knows Thomas From Bolton, stated ‘so buzzing for you mate, can’t wait to see you out there’.
Former Burnley pals Jimmy Dunne and Ntumba Massanka shared messages too, as did ex-Liverpool and Bolton midfielder Jay Spearing with Thomas’s story touching the hearts of many.