Preston allowed Jayden Stockley to leave the club on Friday, sending him on loan to Charlton Athletic.
The 27-year-old striker has struggled for consistent playing time this season, and having brought in another striker earlier this month, it’s no surprise that Alex Neil now wants Stockley to go out and play games.
Stockley made his Addicks debut on Saturday afternoon, coming on as a substitute in the 2-2 home draw with Swindon Town as he looks to establish himself at The Valley.
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Other clubs wanted to sign Stockley, including Bristol Rovers and the striker’s former Exeter boss Paul Tisdale, but a Leeds United link ended up winning the race for Charlton.
That may sound bizarre, but it hinges on Preston advisor Peter Ridsdale and Charlton boss Lee Bowyer.
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Ridsdale was at Leeds back when Bowyer was a first-team star at Elland Road, but the paid didn’t exactly have the best of relationships back in the early 2000’s.
Ridsdale suggested that he wouldn’t sign Bowyer if he wasn’t already at Leeds, and Bowyer claimed that Ridsdale was trying to force him out of Elland Road.
Yet now, the pair appear to have patched up their differences, with Bowyer telling the club’s official website that his connection with Ridsdale was vital.
“There was a lot of interest in him, he’s a good striker and normally in these transfer windows good strikers don’t become available,” said Bowyer. “I’ve got a good relationship with Peter Ridsdale at Preston and I have to thank him for his help and obviously the manager and their owner. He’s a Championship striker and with their help and a lot of our persistence, we were able to fend off interest from other clubs,” he added.