Preston North End loanee wins THREE awards as footsteps of ex-Liverpool and Man United stars followed

Aston Villa loan man Kaine Kesler-Hayden has won all three Player of the Year awards at Preston North End.

Signed in the summer for his fifth loan spell away from Villa Park - after stints with Swindon Town, MK Dons, Huddersfield Town and Plymouth Argyle - the full-back has been a regular all season. Operating as a wing-back on both sides of the pitch, he has racked up 50 appearances in all competitions - playing 3,956 minutes.

He is this season’s Sir Tom Finney POTY, voted for by the supporters, as well as Players’ POTY and Young POTY. Kesler-Hayden scored his first goal against Stoke City, in early-April, and followed it up with a stunning strike two games later - away to Leeds United.

During his loan spell at Deepdale the 22-year-old has chipped in with three assists. His energy and effort has made him a favourite among the PNE faithful, with another gem found in the loan market. In 2022/23, Manchester United’s Alvaro Fernandez won Young POTY - one year after Liverpool’s Sepp van den Berg.

Kesler-Hayden has done his fair share of press duty over the course of the season, both with in-house media and local journalists. He has only spoken highly of his time with North End and recently described the loan spell as his favourite yet.

However, the defender’s view on his time at Preston could be very different come Saturday evening. The Lilywhites have plummeted down the Championship table after a dreadful run of form, and are now fighting to survive on the final day of the season - away at Bristol City.

Kesler-Hayden will almost certainly start the match and play an important role on the day for Paul Heckingbottom’s side. Throughout the campaign he has been tasked with keeping opposition wingers quiet and providing an attacking outlet at the other end.

Goal of the Season

The winner of Preston North End’s 2024/25 Goal of the Year is Robbie Brady. The Republic of Ireland international scored a magnificent free-kick, in PNE’s 3-0 FA Cup fifth round win over Lancashire rivals Burnley. It set Preston up for a memorable victory, and their first FA Cup quarter-final since 1966.

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