Preston North End have completed the signing of former Derby County striker David Nugent, pnefc.net report.
Derby opted to release Nugent this summer following the end of his contract at Pride Park. His last game came in the opening leg of the playoff semi-final encounter against Leeds United.
Nugent, a former fan favourite at Deepdale, has re-joined Preston. He joins the Lillywhites days after the Lancashire club lost Callum Robinson to Sheffield United for a club record fee.
The 34-year-old shared his delight at returning to Preston, telling the club’s official website:
I’m delighted to be back. It’s been a long time since I left the club, we came so close to getting promoted twice. Hopefully I can come back and it can be third time lucky and try and get this club to the Premier League.
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Nugent was an extremely popular figure during his two-and-a-half-year spell at Derby. He scored 17 goals in 85 games, helping Derby to successive top-six finishes over the past two seasons.
At 34, however, Rams supporters felt Nugent’s influence on the pitch was waning towards the end of last season. The time was right for him to move on, and a return to Preston could be a fairy-tale ending to his career.
Nugent scored 33 goals in 94 games for Preston during a three-year spell over a decade ago. He almost guided them to promotion, but Premier League football eluded them following more playoff heartache.
Preston won’t be viewed as one of the favourites for a top six spot this season. Having said that, manager Alex Neil has done a fine job there and the Scot has Championship promotion experience.