Preston winger Scott Sinclair has confirmed his departure from the club on a free transfer with his contract expiring this summer.
North End’s season is now over after beating Middlesbrough 4-1 on Saturday afternoon.
That was a perfect way to end the campaign for North End, arguably putting in the most complete 90-minute performance of the Ryan Lowe era.
The attention will quickly turn to the summer transfer window with a big turnover of players now expected.
There are a raft of Preston players out of contract this summer and it looks like most of them will be leaving.
Lowe needs to clear the decks in order to bring new signings and we already know that defender Paul Huntington is on his way out.
We now have a second confirmed departure with winger Sinclair announcing his own exit on Instagram.
Sinclair has admitted that his time at Preston has ‘come to an end’, thanking North End fans and teammates.
Sinclair also claimed there are ‘exciting times ahead’ for him as he now prepares to become a free agent and search for a new club.
Chelsea legend Didier Drogba responded by congratulating Sinclair on his time at Preston whilst wishing him the best for the future.
Sinclair joined Preston back in January 2020 having been something of a hero at Celtic, winning three straight trebles at Parkhead.
Signed by Brendan Rodgers having worked together at Chelsea and Swansea City, Sinclair hit 62 goals in 167 games for Celtic and joined Preston with a big reputation.
Sadly the 33-year-old never really hit his top form in a Preston shirt and wasn’t able to become the attacking spark North End had banked on.
There were some great moments for Sinclair, most notably the stunning lob against Bournemouth in 2020, but they were few and far between.
Sinclair only played 150 minutes since the end of January and wasn’t even in the squad to face Middlesbrough on Saturday.
Sinclair’s departure was widely expected and will now clear significant wages from the Preston books ahead of a busy summer.