United goalkeeper makes move to Preston for a month

Sam Johnstone: Moves to Deepdale for a month

Manchester United goalkeeper Sam Johnstone has signed for Preston on a one-month loan deal.

Johnstone enjoyed a successful loan spell at North End last year, helping them gain promotion to the Sky Bet Championship, and the 22-year-old has now gone back to his home town club for a month.

The goalkeeper, whose father Glenn played for Preston, is eligible to play in the club’s next game against Rotherham on January 2.

Johnstone is yet to play for United, but was on the substitutes’ bench for the first six matches of the season while David de Gea was the subject of speculation linking him with a move to Real Madrid.

“I’m delighted to be back and hopefully I can start playing some games,” Johnstone told Preston’s website.

“It’s great to be around the team at Manchester United, they are the biggest club in the world but, at the end of the day, I’m 22 years old and I have to think about myself a little bit and I need to be playing first-team football.

“I get to do that now in the Championship which is a great league to play in.”

The move comes after Jordan Pickford, who has been Simon Grayson’s first-choice goalkeeper this year, was recalled by Sunderland halfway through his season-long loan.