Preston North End are delighted to confirm goalkeeper Jack Walton has joined the club for an undisclosed fee. The 27-year-old has made the move from Luton Town and put pen to paper on a three-year deal at Deepdale. Jack has spent the past two seasons on loan with Scottish side Dundee United, where he made 85 appearances as their first-choice ‘keeper. After signing for PNE, Jack said: “I’m delighted to get it done and I’m really excited to meet the lads, get in, and start training. “When I knew of the interest here, it was something I really wanted to get done. It's a massive club. It's close to where I grew up so I've always known Preston and how good of a club it is. “For my next challenge, it was something that suits me and I was really hoping to get it done.” please log in to view this image Jack’s career started with Barnsley where he went on to spend nine years, some of which were under the management of Paul Heckingbottom. During his time at Oakwell, he was part of a team who earned promotion to the Championship and then played a crucial role in the Tykes retaining their place in the division against all odds in 2019/20. The shot-stopper signed for Luton Town during their promotion-winning season up to the Premier League and Jack headed out on loan to Dundee United where he spent two campaigns and helped the club achieve a place in Europe. Manager Paul Heckingbottom said: “Jack’s someone I know well from our time at Barnsley together. He’s a great lad and a great goalkeeper. “He’s shown what he can do in the Championship before and he’s had a brilliant couple of years playing week in, week out in Scotland. “I’m looking forward to working with him again and seeing him challenge the goalkeepers in training.” Preston North End are delighted to announce the signing of Michael Smith on a two-year deal. The striker arrives at Deepdale following his departure from Sheffield Wednesday, where he scored 32 goals, eight of which came during the 2024/25 season. Michael has extensive experience playing in the Sky Bet EFL, having made 161 appearances in the Championship and almost 600 in all competitions across his career. Michael said: “I’m delighted to get it over the line so quickly. It’s a big club that I want to be a part of. I know quite a few of the boys so it seems like a good group to be involved in. “As a striker you pride yourself on goals. I've managed to score a few over the years and hopefully I can still keep getting better and keep developing under this manager and score a few more.” please log in to view this image The forward’s journey began with Darlington, where he made his debut in 2010, and since then Michael has worked his way up the pyramid, enjoying his breakthrough into the Championship in 2018 with Rotherham United. With a brilliant record of 60 goals for the Millers, Michael joined Sheffield Wednesday in 2022 and helped them seal a return to the second tier. He has been a key player for the Owls in recent years, prior to his departure from Hillsborough last week, and he now becomes PNE’s seventh summer signing. Paul Heckingbottom said: “Smudge is a player we know all about from his vast experience in the EFL. “He’s a really intelligent footballer and a brilliant finisher who adds something different to our team with the way he plays. “He’ll give us a real focal point at the top end of the pitch and he’s a striker who has a proven knack of being in the right place at the right time.”
