Michael Hart joined the club from Aberdeen just before deadline day of the January transfer window in 2008 for a fee in the region of £100,000 on a three-and-a-half year deal.

Hart finally made his debut for Preston North End in April 2008 against Ipswich Town, after incurring a hip injury which had delayed his first start for the club.

Following an injury-free pre-season the Scotsman was ready to challenge for first team places for the current campaign and made the first of seven starts this season against Chesterfield Town in August.

The former Aberdeen man showed his versatility by then stepping in for Callum Davidson and filling in at left-back, however his run in the first team was curtailed when he suffered an ankle injury during the 3-1 defeat to Burnley in October 2008.

Born in North Lanarkshire on 10^th February 1980, Hart made his professional debut for Aberdeen in 1998 against Dunfermline Athletic. After moving on loan to Livingston in 2000, the defender's move was made permanent in July 2001. Hart then returned to Aberdeen in 2003, where he then established himself in the side.

During a tour of Egypt with Aberdeen in the summer of 2007, Hart, along with former team-mate Jamie Smith, was in a potentially serious car crash. Fortunately, both players managed to come out of the collision without any serious injuries.

Unfortunately Michael's return from the ankle injury hasn't been as speedy as he or the Club would have liked and he underwent an operation to remove the 'bony spurs' causing him problems in February 2009.

Hopefully 2009 will be a less injury-interupted one for the speedy full-back as he bids to establish himself again in the PNE first XI.