[themaclad]

Preston North End are delighted to announce the arrival of Kaine Kesler-Hayden on a season-long loan from Aston Villa.

The 21-year-old, who operates as a wing-back, has experience playing in each of England’s top four divisions, including three appearances in the Premier League.

Kaine will take the No.29 shirt and will go straight into contention for the opening game of the Sky Bet Championship season against Sheffield United on Friday night.

Kaine said: “I’m just so happy it went so smoothly and quickly. I’m delighted to be here and I can’t wait to get started.

“When I found out Preston wanted me to be here I just wanted to get here as quickly as possible ready for the game on Friday.

“I had a chat with the gaffer at Villa and he thought the best thing for me to do was to get another season of minutes under my belt and a bit more experience. I think this is the best place for me to do that.”

The Birmingham-born defender joined the Aston Villa Academy at a young age and progressed through to eventually make his professional debut in January 2021.



He then gained experience in the EFL with Swindon Town, MK Dons, Huddersfield Town and most recently Plymouth Argyle.

The former England youth international was recalled by Aston Villa for the second half of the 2023/24 campaign, and he featured three times in the top flight as well as playing in the semi-final of the UEFA Conference League.

Manager Ryan Lowe said: “We’ve followed Kaine for a couple of years now. He’s that tricky wing-back that we’ve wanted to add to the team.

“He’s a ball carrier who can get fans off their seats. He’s exciting and once we knew we could get a deal done with Aston Villa, we thought let’s get this done as soon as possible.

“He’s been on our radar for a while now. He’s a fantastic lad and a fantastic player, who we’re excited to have with us for the upcoming season.”