OFFICIAL: 2018 top-scorer Stockley joins Preston

Preston North End have signed Jayden Stockley from Exeter City, the striker having scored more goals in English football in 2018 than any other player. Stockley hit 20 League Two goals last term and has netted five times in his last three appearances to take his tally to 16 this season, earning a three-and-a-half-year deal with Championship club Preston.

The 25-year-old scored 29 league goals during 2018, one more than Liverpool's Mohamed Salah, and joins Preston for a reported £750,000 after the release clause in his Exeter contract was triggered. Manager Alex Neil feels target man Stockley will give Preston, 17th in the Championship and winless in four matches, a fresh dimension in attack.

 

December 30, 2018

"He is six foot three, he has scored the most headed goals in Europe this year and I think we've got someone who, when the going gets tough and teams hunt us and press us, we can turn the ball up to him, work around him and now when teams sit in, we can put the ball into the box and expect the big fella to hopefully get on the end of some of them," said Neil.

"He will certainly give us a different option. He is a good age as well, 25, and he is fully fit. He has been playing regularly for Exeter, which is a big thing, because sometimes when you do business in January, you can bring in guys who haven't been playing, whereas that is not the case here and we hope he can come in and hit the ground running."

 

January 3, 2019

Stockley's arrival follows Preston's capture of Josh Ginnelly, who signed from Walsall for an undisclosed fee on Tuesday.