North End snapped up Carter in August 2007 on a four-year deal after West Brom agreed to part with the player for a fee of £750,000, which could rise to £1.25m depending on a number of performance-related bonuses.

A former England U20 International, Carter made his Football League bow as a 19-year old with Birmingham City, and within four months he went on to score the penalty against Norwich that clinched Brum's promotion to the Premiership in the 2002 Play Off Final.

After gaining further experience on loan at Sunderland during the 2004/05 season, he was later snapped up by the Baggies for a fee of £1.5m in the summer of 2005. Sixty-six appearances and six goals later, he moved north to fill the creative midfield void caused by Paul McKenna's absence through injury for much of 2007.

He has an eye for spectacular goals - shown most notably at the top level when his late winner against Arsenal in October 2005 was later voted as Albion's 'Goal of the Season' at the end of their Premiership campaign.

Carts netted PNE's very own goal of the season in 2007/08 when his last minute wonderstrike stole a crucial 1-0 victory for the Lilywhites away at Leicester in early March.