Preston North End have signed Robbie Brady and Ben Woodburn on one-year contracts until June 2023.
Brady last season clinched promotion with Bournemouth but his contract wasn’t renewed by the Cherries, which led him to join Preston on a week-long trial last week whilst he considered several offers from various clubs.
The Republic of Ireland international however has decided to sign a one-year permanent contract at Deepdale until June 2023.
Speaking about his decision to stay at Preston on a permanent deal, Brady commented: “I’m delighted to get something done and I’m just excited and really looking forward to getting going and hitting the ground running.
“It’s been excellent coming into a good group. The manager phoned me a couple of weeks ago and I’ve really enjoyed it since I’ve come in.
Brady also praised his new “friendly” teammates for making him feel welcome and comfortable as he looks to help the Lilywhites progress up the Championship this season.
Manager, Ryan Lowe meanwhile is delighted to sign Brady as he explained: “You just have to look at his calibre. He’s a full-blown international, he’s played at the top level and he’s been around the block, but still young at 30 years of age.
“He’s a fantastic player and a great lad. He was with us for a few days training and once we knew there was a deal to be done we felt we’d get it over the line.”
Woodburn meanwhile has signed an one-year contract with option for an additional year following expiration of his contract at Liverpool, where he became their youngest goalscorer with the second goal in a 2-0 win against Leeds United at Anfield in 2016-17 EFL Cup Quarter-Finals.
The 22 year-old though has struggled for game time under Jurgen Klopp’s Reds in the last four seasons, as he instead endured loan spells at Sheffield United, Oxford United, Blackpool and Hearts in which he only scored four goals in 66 appearances in total across those four loan clubs.
Speaking about his decision to sign for Preston following a successful week-long trial, Woodburn said: “I’m very excited for the deal to be done. Obviously I’ve been on trial for a week now and things have gone pretty well, so I’m buzzing to get started as a Preston player.
“Obviously when I got called and told I could come and train, I was buzzing. I wanted to show the gaffer what I could do, luckily I’ve earned a contract out of it.”
Lowe had previously tried to sign Woodburn during his time as manager of Bury then Plymouth with no luck, yet Woodburn is focused on the fact that they “… can work together and I’m a fan of how he plays football, so I’m really excited to get going.”
Reflecting on the fact that his “real interest” in Woodburn has culminated in him finally securing the 22 year-old’s services, Lowe praised the midfielder for showcasing his “quality” and “good footballing brain” whilst on trial.
Explaining what Woodburn will add to the team this season, Lowe added: “He can play in numerous positions. He can play as a ten, just off the striker, or in any of the eight positions, whether it be left or right.
“He’s probably even capable of playing right wing back, so he’s someone who can play a few positions which is always nice, but ultimately he’s an attack-minded player who we feel can create and score goals.”
Brady and Woodburn are the first outfield signings at Preston this season, following the acquisitions of goalkeepers, Freddie Woodman and David Cornell.
Discussion about this post