Preston North End goalkeeper returns to Deepdale after Salford City loan

The goalkeeper joined Salford on an emergency loan in October, initially for seven days.

That loan was extended on a rolling seven-day basis while the Ammies' first-choice keeper Tom King recovered from injury.

King is now back to full fitness and that has brought the emergency loan stint to an end.

Ripley played nine games for Salford - seven in League Two, an FA Cup tie and a Football League Trophy match.

He kept four clean sheets, one of them being the televised FA Cup win at Dagenham and Redbridge on November 2.

With him not being in North End's 25-man squad, Ripley will only be able to feature in Central League games now that he has returned to Deepdale.

The 28-year-old's last competitive appearance for PNE was the 4-1 defeat to Wycombe Wanderers in the FA Cup in January.

Ripley is out of contract next summer.

North End still have a number of players out on loan, Tom Bayliss on a season-long stay at League One promotion-chasers Wigan Athletic.

Joe Rodwell-Grant and Lewis Coulton are both on youth loans at Bamber Bridge, while Adam O'Reilly is with Stalybridge Celtic.

Jack Baxter has been at Radcliffe since October and Ethan Walker recently re-joined AFC Fylde for a second loan spell.

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