No player sticks around forever, but some Preston North End departures have been particularly painful to take over the years.
Whether it be moving to a rival, leaving unexpectedly or simply seeking a new challenge, it’s a feeling every PNE fan will have experienced at some stage. But, which players were the hardest to see walk away from Deepdale? We asked you, the North End faithful, on social media and the comments poured in.
There are bound to be more, but here are 17 former Lilywhites who stood out...
5. Michael Robinson
Robinson started his career with Preston and scored his fair share of goals in the 1970s. Manchester City snapped him up for £750,000 in '79. | LEP
6. Richard Cresswell
A tough one to see go... Cresswell was a key cog in Preston's attack for four years - but he moved to Leeds United in 2005. | Archive
7. Ben Pearson
Pearson was a stand out midfielder for North End. But, after entering his final year, a new contract couldn't be sorted and he moved to Bournemouth in January 2021. | CameraSport - Alex Dodd
8. Tony Ellis
Scored a hatful of goals for PNE across two separate spells in the 80s and 90s, but signed for their arch-rivals Blackpool in 1994. His final game was the 1994 play-off final defeat to Wycombe. | Lancashire Post