Jermaine Beckford: Preston sign Bolton striker after promotion

Jermaine Beckford will join Preston on a two-year deal from Bolton Wanderers from 1 July after helping North End win promotion to the Championship.

The striker, 31, scored a hat-trick at Wembley in Preston's League One play-off final win over Swindon last month.

He joined the Lilywhites on loan from Bolton last November and the former Everton and Leeds striker netted 18 goals in his 31 appearances.

"It is somewhere that feels like home," Beckford told the club website.

Asked what made him decide to move, he said: "The management - we've got such a great understanding and relationship.

"It's something that seems to work really well, I'm happy with it, so it was a no-brainer to sign those papers."

Beckford was playing non-league football until the age of 22 when he moved to Leeds, and the Jamaica international has also had spells at Scunthorpe, Leicester and Huddersfield.

The end of the season, where he scored six goals in Preston's play-off campaign, was in contrast to three months ago when he considered quitting the game because of the pain of an ear infection.

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As Jimmy says, he will come back to haunt us.

Quitting football because of an ear infection? Bit drastic innit, it's not like a leg broken or a bloody heart condition or summat. It's a good move for both parties. For one reason or another it doesn't work out at certain clubs for players and this is one of those occasions. I think he'll do well in the championship for Preston but there's no point keeping a useless player on the books just so he doesn't come back to haunt us in the future. I'm much more worried abou the impact of not signing ALF because he really will come back to haunt us im sure.

Beckford wasn't given enough games with us IMO.  Lennon was a tad hasty in dumping him out. Given the change in play after Lennon took over with far more chances being created etc. I think Becks would have still gone on to be our leading scorer again. Something happened in the background with this that we don't know about.

Bwfc1958 wrote:Quitting football because of an ear infection? Bit drastic innit, it's not like a leg broken or a bloody heart condition or summat. 

It depends mate. A severe ear infection ruins your sense of balance and can even ruin your ability to walk much less run, tackle, shoot etc.

As to Beckford and Preston, good luck to him. I'd have preferred to keep him as I think he's decent at Championship level but obviously Neil doesn't think so.

Look at his record, Pete.

He's only ever scored goals in the third tier....under the same manager.

We're well rid in my view.

luckyPeterpiper wrote:
A severe ear infection ruins your sense of balance and can even ruin your ability to walk much less run, tackle, shoot etc.

Those symptoms were blatantly evident during his performances for us.

Breadman wrote:Look at his record, Pete.

He's only ever scored goals in the third tier....under the same manager.

We're well rid in my view.

Where did you get this from Bread? He scored a cracker for Everton against us and I remember him scoring against Liverpool in the prem so he must have got a few at the top level as well as playing for us and Leicester in the Championship - and I think at least one of his seasons with Leeds was also in this division.
Looked great as a kid but never fulfilled his potential.

His record for Everton was 8/34, giving him a goals to games ratio of 1 in 4.

At Leicester it was 9/43 (1 in 5)

For us it was 7/46 (1 in 6.5)

At Leeds under Grayson, it was 72/126 (121 of these games being played in League One - he didn't score a single goal in the 5 he played in The Championship) giving him a healthy 1 in 1.75 record.

At PNE (again under Grayson and again in League One) it was 12/23 (1 in 2).


All of which makes it look, to me at least, as though he's only ever been anything like prolific (A) in The Third Division and (B) playing for Simon Grayson.

(And I reckon the whole ear infection thing is just a cop out - why didn't we hear about it at the time?)

He was usually a sub at Everton and I seem to remember he was when he came on and scored an injury time equaliser against us. Blasted it into the top corner the barsteward.
But it's true he wasn't prolific in the Prem. He has however scored in the top 3 divisions under different managers.

I'm willing to offer a charity bet now of twenty quid (to go to Cancer Research UK) that Beckford scores ten or less league goals for PNE next term.

I just don't think he's good enough at Championship level.

£20 says he'll score at least 12 league goals.

one thing you can guarantee is that he will score home and away against us  

He'll score more than any striker we get I can tell you that.

boltonbonce wrote:£20 says he'll score at least 12 league goals.

You're on.

Name your charity.

He scored 7 for us in a season that he barely took part in. He will bang them in for Preston now he's top dog there. I still think he's shit though

Breadman wrote:

boltonbonce wrote:£20 says he'll score at least 12 league goals.

You're on.

Name your charity.

Claire House Children's Hospice.

What happens if he scores 11?

Do we both stump up?

Boggersbelief wrote:He scored 7 for us in a season that he barely took part in. He will bang them in for Preston now he's top dog there. I still think he's shit though

How is playing in 33 games "barely taking part" exactly?

Breadman wrote:What happens if he scores 11?

Do we both stump up?

I'm OK with that.