Ex-PNE man Stucki's English adventure ends

Thorsten Stuckmann (second right) with Sam Johnstone, Alan Kelly, Jamie Jones and Steven James at Wembley

Four of those campaigns were spent at Deepdale, as he pulled on the gloves 77 times for PNE.

Stuckmann left North End in July 2015 to join Doncaster, then played for Partick Thistle and Chesterfield last season.

Now 36, he is returning to Germany with his wife and two children.

Stuckmann first came to these shores in July 2011 for trials with a number of clubs after leaving Alemannia Aachen in Germany.

One of the trials was with PNE, the 6ft 6in keeper playing the second half of a friendly at Morecambe.

He saved a penalty in that game but was not offered a contract at the time.

Stuckmann returned to Preston three months later, brought in on a short-term deal after an injury to Iain Turner.

His debut was in the JPT at Rochdale, when he saved two penalties in a shootout victory.

When he faced Rochdale again in the league 11 days later, Stuckmann saved another spot-kick.

He made 32 appearances that season, his best run with PNE.

In the first half of the following term, Stuckmann shared the gloves with Steve Simonsen.

He then had to play second fiddle to Declan Rudd for the next 18 months.

In the 2014/15 campaign, Stuckmann started as cover for Jamie Jones but ousted him from the No.1 slot.

However, Sam Johnstone’s arrival on loan saw him drop back to the bench.

Stuckmann’s last start for PNE was in the 3-1 defeat to Manchester United in the FA Cup in February 2015.

Meanwhile Johnstone is being linked with a move to Sunderland as replacement for another former North End loanee Jordan Pickford, who is Everton-bound in a £30m switch.