In the pantheon of players who narrowly missed out on signing for Preston, James Jones may not live very long in the memory.
When Alex Neil wanted another midfielder towards the end of the 2017 summer transfer window, Jones was one player targeted.
Liam Henderson, then of Celtic, was another player Preston were looking to sign, but neither ended up joining.
In the case of Jones, a £300,000 deal was agreed with Crewe Alexandra after 11 goals from midfield in the 2016-17 season.
However, as noted by Cheshire Live, Jones failed his medical with Preston due to groin and pelvic problems, scuppering his move to Deepdale.
Jones did eventually land a move away from Crewe in the summer of 2020, joining Lincoln City to play under former Preston midfielder Michael Appleton.
The 25-year-old could have ended up back on Preston’s radar with a strong season, but he has now made a surprise move.
Non-league side Wrexham have confirmed the signing of Jones for an undisclosed fee, adding him to their revolution in North Wales.
With Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney now owning the club, Wrexham are making big moves to reach the Football League in rapid fashion.
Dropping down two league is a gamble from Jones, especially having harboured dreams of the Championship with Preston.
Wrexham now have Chorley-born Phil Parkinson as their manager, and even signed striker Paul Mullin on a free transfer after Preston rejected the chance to land him.
Former North End loanee David Jones has also joined Wrexham, and with such strong recruitment, Jones may now hope to be part of a project that sees him playing in the Championship after all.