Former Reading defender Lewis Gibson has joined Championship Preston North End for a 'seven-figure fee.'

The 24-year-old made 13 appearances for the Royals back in 2020/21 on loan from Everton, failing to nail down a regular starting spot under Veljko Paunovic as the club finished seventh in the Championship.

Having spent the last two years with Plymouth Argyle, the North-East native moves to Deepdale on a deal until 2028.

Paul Heckingbottom's Lilywhites sit 14th in the second tier after last year's 10th-place finish.

Gibson said: “I'm delighted. It's been a whirlwind 24-48 hours, but I'm really happy to be here. I’m really excited for the challenge and I can’t wait to get going.

“I feel like the club over the years has been a very stable Championship club. It's a project now where I want to take it to the next level and try and break it into the top six and potentially go ahead.

“I've got real excitement and a real fire in the belly about getting going. I can’t wait to get out there, especially at home and playing in front of the home fans to show them what I can do.”

Manager Heckingbottom said: “Lewis is a really good defender who we’re delighted to have been able to bring in.

“We’ve beaten a few clubs to his signature so I think he’s excited about what he’s walking into here and likewise we’re excited to add him to our squad.

“He’s a player who the fans will quickly see is very capable with the ball at his feet, but he’s also someone who just loves to defend and he’s shown that he can do that to a high level in the Championship.”