Preston North End let youngster join Annan Athletic on loan
Preston North End prospect Finlay Cross-Adair has joined Annan Athletic on loan. The teenager has linked up with the Scottish League One club on a temporary deal until January.
The 18-year-old has been given the green light to head out the exit door to get some more first-team experience under his belt. His new team were promoted from the Scottish League Two last term.
Preston handed Cross-Adair his first professional contract back in December 2022. Prior to that agreement, he was on scholarship terms at Deepdale and after he was handed the deal late last year he told the club website: “It’s a massive day; it’s a dream come true. Ever since I signed here at Preston, the goal was to get a professional contract and to have signed it today is a dream come true.
“I’m really proud, especially of this season. If you’d have told me at the start of the season I’d have made my professional debut, came on at Ewood Park, and signed my professional contract today, I’d have said ‘no chance’, so it’s really special.”
He has been on the books of the Lilywhites for his whole career to date and has been a regular for their various youth sides over recent years. The youngster also made four senior appearances in the last campaign under Ryan Lowe.
Annan start their new season with a trip to face Falkirk on Saturday 5th August. They then have a fixture against Montrose the weekend after in their first home outing.
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Preston North End defender Andrew Hughes is ready to hit the ground running this season after shoulder surgery. The versatile left-back tore his left rotator cuff in the third game of last season but played the pain barrier for the remainder of the season.
And when the summer break came it was little surprise the 31-year-old was quick to have an operation to solve the problem.
“I’m excited to be back, I’ve had a good summer,” revealed Hughes.
“I had shoulder surgery at the end of the season, but to be honest I’ve been able to take part in a lot more pre-season than I thought I would. It was for an injury I actually picked up in the third game in the season, so I’ve actually contributed more than I thought.
“I tore my rotator cuff against Watford, it wasn’t a nice one. But it was just one of them, I just had to grit my teeth and get through it. Every game it was causing me a problem, whether that was going for a header and leading with my left arm. It was a bit of a nightmare to be honest.
“I’m glad to have had the operation, hopefully I stay fit and it stays that way. I’m fighting fit and ready to go. Pre-season was just a case of having no contact quite so soon after the surgery, which was difficult. But I’m raring to go and it’s exciting with all the signings we’ve made, I know what all the boys are about.”
Fellow defender Bambo Diaby left the Lilywhites for fellow Championship side Sheffield Wednesday on Wednesday. Hughes expects the experienced centre-back to be missed for the campaign ahead.
“Bambo will be missed, he’ll definitely be a loss,” added Hughes.
“When he was called up he answered all the questions. The Championship is probably the hardest it’s been this season for a long time, with teams coming up and teams going down, it’s made it that extra bit harder.
“But we want to make that next step [of getting into the play-offs, which is our next aim this year. We know it’s not going to be easy, so everyone is going to be needed to be counted on. We all need to be ready.”
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