James Pradic has been backed for success at Preston with Peter Ridsdale seemingly excited about the young goalkeeper’s future.
North End face a huge summer when it comes to the goalkeeping department.
Player of the Year Daniel Iversen is returning to Leicester City this summer and isn’t likely to come back.
Declan Rudd has retired whilst both Connor Ripley and Mathew Hudson have been released.
Add in that youngsters Oliver Lombard and Declyn Duggan have also been let go and North End have to basically rebuild their goalkeeping ranks.
James Pradic has been backed for success at Preston
The lone remaining goalkeeper at the club is Pradic, whose name may not be all that familiar to some Preston fans.
North End actually signed Pradic as a first-year scholar last summer as he left League One side Charlton Athletic.
Pradic was called into the pre-match warm-up against Nottingham Forest back in November.
A Wales Under-17 international, Pradic has been featuring regularly for his country of late.
Pradic became a double-winner with Preston’s Under-19’s and could now take advantage of North End’s goalkeeping issues.
We would see Pradic emerge as third-choice goalkeeper next season as signing three stoppers this summer would be a tall ask.
Director Peter Ridsdale has now told the Lancashire Evening Post that Preston have a ‘really good’ young goalkeeper in the academy.
That goalkeeper is Pradic, with Ridsdale admitting that he hopes the Welshman will emerge into the first team and become first-choice one day.
That would be ideal for North End, who currently have no idea who the first-choice goalkeeper will be next season.
There is plenty of time to sort that out and plenty of time for Pradic to develop and hopefully become a first-team regular at North End.