Preston North End deal 'all agreed' as Peter Ridsdale explains delay in signing contract
PNE striker set to extend his stay at Deepdale
Preston North End striker Ched Evans just needs to put pen-to-paper on his player-coach deal, having agreed terms with the club.
That is according to director Peter Ridsdale, who revealed towards the end of May that Evans had verbally agreed his new contract. The striker made a shock return to the pitch last season, after suffering a serious neck injury in April 2023.
He made 18 appearances without scoring in the previous campaign, and North End opted to offer the 35-year-old an extended stay. Evans’ playing days look set to be heavily reduced at Preston, but the plan is to integrate him with the coaching staff.
“It’s all agreed,” said Ridsdale. “He has just been in a different place to me for the last few weeks. I spoke to him on Thursday or Friday last week and he came in to meet me before I came away - and he was away somewhere, so he wasn’t in a position (to sign). All the terms are agreed, it is not an issue.
“He is essentially a member of the coaching staff, but we will register him as a player - just as a back up. Now, clearly if we go out and find three strikers that we think will be ahead of him and we haven’t got enough spots in the squad, then so be it. He is going to be a (first team) coach and registered, as opposed to a player.”