Preston have taken up the option of an extra year for the 26-year-old, with boss Alan Irvine telling the Evening Post: "It would've been crazy to let him walk out of the door on a Bosman."

Neal was the only one of the senior squad out of contract this summer.

And Irvine had no hesitation in extending his stay after being impressed by the former Stoke City player since taking charge in November.

He said: "Lewis has been unfortunate because he was injured when I first came.

"Because of that, other people got in. Then he got back in and picked up a hamstring problem.

"And he has struggled to get back in since then as the side has been winning.

"It would have been a bad decision by me if I had started messing about with the team.

"We had got on a roll, we were playing well and we were getting great results, so he has had to wait his turn. But he has got back in the starting line-up in the last couple of games and I think he has proved he can play a part for us.

"Who knows how big a part that might be in the future?"

Neal has spent the last three seasons at Deepdale as a bit-part player, starting only 23 league matches out of a possible 137.

That was also the case at Stoke, where he came through the junior ranks but only made 29 starts in the league in more than four years.

But Irvine appears to believe he has a chance of becoming more of a
regular after some lively displays in recent weeks.

Irvine added: "It was a really easy decision to make to take up the option of a further year for Lewis.

"I didn't have to consider it very long at all.

"There was no doubt in my mind whatsoever that we should be keeping him here. He is doing well.

"I couldn't have let him leave on a free transfer. That would have been
pretty silly."

Neal was a Billy Davies signing in the summer of 2005, but he was only in the starting line-up for 13 league matches and four cup ties that first season.

Last term, things were even worse when a serious neck problem kept him sidelined for three months and he started just eight games in all competitions under Paul Simpson.

But after making only two substitute appearances this season prior to Simpson being sacked, he has come more to the fore.