PNE defender Andy Boyle joins Doncaster on loan

The 26-year-old signed for North End from Dundalk in January last year and has found first-team chances hard to come by at Deepdale.

He has started only four games this season, three of those coming when injuries hit hard in the PNE defence in November.

With Tom Clarke, Paul Huntington, Ben Davies and Tommy Spurr ahead of him in the pecking order of central defenders, PNE agreed to loan him out to get a run of games.

Doncaster, managed by former Preston boss Darren Ferguson, are 14th in League One at the moment.

Walsall and MK Dons were also interested in taking Boyle on loan.

The Irishman is the third player to leave Preston on loan this transfer window, with Ben Pringle having joined Oldham Atheltic and Kevin O'Connor going to Fleetwood Town.

A fourth, Eoin Doyle, is set to leave on loan before Wednesday night's deadline.