Many players have crossed the divide between Deepdale and Turf Moor in recent years, but we speak to one who hasn't already done the media rounds. Many players easily come to mind who are often rolled out at this time of year, with the derby upon us, but one former Lilywhite and Claret player is quietly building a big reputation for himself in the game; and he says he owes a lot of it to a former PNE manager.
Warren Joyce is now the reserve team manager at Manchester United, alongside Old Trafford legend Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, having recently spent two seasons as manager at United partner club Royal Antwerp in Belgium.
The Oldham-born, former North End midfielder started his career as a trainee at Bolton Wanderers, before making almost 200 appearances for the Trotters, but it was his first career move, to Deepdale, that made a big difference to his later progress.
"I thought John McGrath was the best manager I played for," the 43-year-old told the official website on Thursday. "He was really well-organised. He got people knowing their jobs; knowing their roles with and without the ball. I thought he was very good. It was a very enjoyable time for me, with the combination of him and Les Chapman. Every single day you felt you learned something and I really enjoyed being at the football club.
"There were two big influences on my career. I enjoyed playing under John and when I was at school I played rugby league and my coach was Ray French, the TV commentator. They were very similar characters - John Wayne like characters - but they were very well-organised, they were very funny, but they made sure that the players knew the little details and their roles.
"I came from playing rugby at school at a really good level really and I went into football where it was a bit of a shock that it wasn't really as organised as it was at school. You felt that 'this can't be right' and it wasn't until I played for John that those things were going again in football.
"John was a great motivator. He used to say some really funny things to players, but he'd make you feel good about doing your specific job and role in the team. I used to travel with Moons [Brian Mooney] at times and he'd say things to me like 'I want you win the ball, give it to Mooney, stand, wait for him to lose it and then win it again and give it him back'!
"He made you feel good about doing that job. In hindsight he knew what he was doing, because he knew that if Mooney got the ball as much as possible he would go past people.
"There were some really good memories of being at Preston. It was a club I really enjoyed being at and I have a lot of affinity with and I am delighted to see them doing so well right now."
Joyce spent five good years at Deepdale, making 177 appearances and scoring 34 goals, before the plastic pitch put an end to his stay and he moved south to Plymouth, in 1992: "Whilst when I left Preston I got a couple of moves after it, the one reason I left the football club was because they played on the artificial surface.
"The last season I was there, I had a horrific injury and it was either I get off the plastic or I was finished and I think that happened to one or two of the lads at the time. It probably destroyed Brian Mooney's knees and it had a massive detrimental affect on my back. That was the only reason I left the football club really."
Joyce only spent one season on the south coast, before moving back to his native north west, joining Burnley and a cult hero he mentions above also donned both team's strips, but what was it like to lace up his boots alongside one of the most loved players to have graced Deepdale in the last 20 years… Brian Mooney?
"He was a good player and a misunderstood lad really. He cared deeply about football and whilst he might have given off a different image or aura, that wasn't what he was like. He was a very skilful player, with tremendous ability for running with the ball and with a tremendous change of pace.
"He was as good a player technically as I have played with and if you look at the way he could dribble and some of the players that I've worked with and seen, he was up there with them. He was very unfortunate that injury probably cut his career short and cut the capabilities of what he was able to play at short. I think the Astroturf did that to a few people."
His time at Turf Moor was when Burnley were improving, as Preston had done in his presence: "When I was playing for Preston, Burnley probably weren't as good and then when I went to Burnley it was probably a little bit of the other way round," he continued. "When I was at Preston I remember battering them in the Leyland DAF and they were a poor side at the time, but then later on when I was at Burnley, Preston slipped a little, so it was swings and roundabouts really."
On leaving Burnley Joyce wrote himself in the Hull City record books, firstly as a player and then manager, saving the now Premiership club from relegation, despite at one point being cast adrift by double figure points at the bottom of the lowest tier of the Football League. Many Tigers fans see him as a saviour at their club and owe much of their current position to his efforts in keeping them from the dreaded drop to the Conference.
City's then chairman decided to replace Joyce as manager, however, with the more experienced and well-known Brian Little. Many fans though felt that Joyce was a little hard done by because, considering the state the club was in at the time, he had done a fine job just keeping them in the league. He subsequently held coaching roles with Leeds United, Stockport County and Tranmere Rovers before taking over at Antwerp two years ago.
Now back in England he is looking after some of potentially the next crop of superstars to grace the Premier League and beyond, but this has also allowed him to visit his former club a fair bit.
"I've been to see Preston two or three times this season. I watch players of ours who have gone on loan to other clubs. I think the team has played well when I've seen them and it is great to see.
"It is a bit weird coming back to the stadium and seeing it. It almost doesn't feel like you've played there because everything is so vastly improved and new. You kind of miss seeing the old stand opposite, but things progress and get better. The team certainly look a solid, well-organised team on the times I have watched them this season.
"I have enjoyed the new job so far. I obviously had two years before that as manager at Royal Antwerp and I had a number of the players like Johnny Evans, Frazier Campbell, Darron Gibson, Danny Simpson, Ryan Shawcross and Darren Cathcart who all came out there and played as well as Sylvain Ebanks-Blake and Lee Martin. There have been some players that you have seen in the last couple of years that have been on loan out there from Manchester United as well who I have enjoyed working with. There are a decent crop of youngsters coming through at the present moment in time as well."
And with the connection between the two clubs down the years, maybe the next Beckham could get a start at Deepdale? "There have been a lot of connections down the years between Preston and Man Utd, with one or two famous names that have come there in their younger days and done very well for themselves."
It's maybe a case of watch this space!
Remember - there are still a few tickets remaining for Saturday's clash with the Clarets at Turf Moor. Be part of the yellow army behind the goal by getting your ticket from the ticket office - open 9am until 6pm Friday and 9am until noon on Saturday - or call the hotline between these hours on 0870 442 1966 - coach tickets also still available, departing Deepdale at 1pm.
