Premier League referee for Preston North End's clash with Leeds United at Deepdale

Premier League referee Kevin Friend will take charge of Preston's clash with Leeds at Deepdale

Premier League referee Kevin Friend will be the man in the middle when Preston North End host Leeds United.

Friend will have the whistle for his 11th PNE game, the most recent a 3-2 win over Blackburn at Deepdale in December 2016.

It will be the 12th time he has refereed the visitors, giving out five red cards in those games.

There will be one particular red card in his North End games that will stand out, though, giving Billy Jones his marching orders.

Kevin Friend shows the red card to Preston right-back Billy Jones at Burnley in 2010

Back in 2010, Friend made the decision to send off the PNE defender at Turf Moor.

Burnley then used the extra man advantage with 12 minutes to go, coming back from 3-1 down to win 4-3.

Then manager Darren Ferguson was given a £4,000 fine from the FA and a three-match touchline ban following an altercation in the tunnel with the official.

That wasn't his only experience of the Lancashire derby, being in the middle for both games in the 2015/16 season.

The Leicestershire referee is one of the most experienced the top flight has to offer.

He has more than 500 games behind him including the FA Cup final in May this year.

Most recently, he was in the middle for Manchester United’s 1-1 draw with Arsenal at the end of last month.

Friend has reffed six games this season, five of them in the Premier League and his only other being in the Carabao Cup where Portsmouth hosted Southampton.

Tuesday night's game gets his Championship tally underway for this campaign, having been in the middle for just four last season.