Preston North End

Preston North End completed the permanent signing of Ben Whiteman on 14th January 2021 for a significant undisclosed fee.

Ben put pen to paper on a three-and-a-half-year deal at Deepdale, with a number of other clubs interested in the highly-rated midfielder.

He slotted straight into the side and featured in all 23 games which he was available for in the second half of the 2020/21 season, going on to score his first goal for the club with a header in a home victory against Derby County.

He followed this up during 2021/22, ending the season as the club’s third-highest appearance maker in the league with 43, as well as scoring four goals in that time.

Three goals came during the following season, all in Lancashire derbies, with two of those coming in wins against Blackburn Rovers and Blackpool.

With his deal due to be up at the end of the 2023/24 campaign, Ben put pen to paper on a new long-term contract in January 2024.

Whiteman came up through Manchester United’s Academy before heading across the Pennines to Sheffield United, where he was given his debut by Nigel Clough back in 2014.

He went on to make almost 200 professional appearances in the six years prior to his move to Deepdale, scoring 32 goals in the process.

The midfielder joined from Doncaster Rovers, where he was club captain and made over 100 appearances, becoming a fan favourite at the Keepmoat Stadium.