Fleetwood Town confirm permanent move for Ched Evans to Preston North End

The Welshman, 32, moved to Deepdale on loan last month but the clubs have now changed the terms of that agreement.

The Championship club have also changed Greg Cunningham's contract from a loan to a permanent deal, easing the problem of being limited to five loan players in any match-day squad.

Evans has made three appearances for Preston, scoring his first goal in Saturday's defeat by Rotherham United.

He made the last of his 99 Fleetwood appearances in the win over Swindon Town on December 12.

A week later, Town's then head coach Joey Barton revealed he would no longer be selecting Evans due to a dispute with the player.

Barton's successor, Simon Grayson, was asked about the prospects of recalling Evans at a fans' forum last week and said: ""Ched had left the club before I got into the building. There is an agreement for Preston to turn the deal into a permanent one, so there wasn't anything I could do.

"I like Ched as a player and tried to sign him on a couple of occasions. But we can't bring him back under the rules and it's in Preston's hands."

A Town statement on the permanent deal reads: "The striker's contract with The Cod Army was due to expire this summer and he originally joined Preston on loan until the end of the season.

"We’d like to thank Ched for his efforts during his time at the club and wish him well for the future."

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