Preston North End secure signing of Huddersfield Town ace

Preston North End have completed the signing of Duane Holmes from fellow Championship side Huddersfield Town. The midfielder has become the Lilywhites’ third addition of the summer.

The 28-year-old, who has been capped twice by the USA national team so far in his career, has penned a two-year deal at Deepdale. The terms of the deal are undisclosed.

After signing for Preston, Holmes has said: “I’m very happy. I spoke to the manager last week and thankfully it’s all gone through pretty quickly. I played with him at Bury for a short time and obviously since taking on the role of a manager he’s done really well wherever he’s gone and I’m looking forward to working with him.

“I played against Preston a lot last year and the way we want to play is good. I’ve just been watching training out there and it was looking very good. The lads look really fit, really sharp and I’m excited to be a part of it.”

Manager Ryan Lowe said: “Duane’s going to be a good addition for us and he’s one I’m excited about because he’s a creator and he can score goals.

“He’s been a solid Championship player for many years. He’s a good footballer who can carry the ball, and he knows his roles and responsibilities.

“I’ve known Duane for many years since playing with him when he was just starting out and I’ve kept following his career.

“We’ve added two players with a lot of quality in the past couple of days so I’m really pleased, and we’re in negotiations with a few other players so we’re looking to keep adding over the next few weeks.”

Holmes started his career at Huddersfield and played 26 times for the Yorkshire club as a youngster before heading to Yeovil Town and Bury on loan. He played with Lowe during his stint at Gigg Lane.

He then had permanent spells at Scunthorpe United and Derby County before re-signing for the Terriers in 2021. The Georgia-born man made 86 appearances in all competitions over the past couple of years and found the net on 10 occasions.