Porteous moves to Preston on loan for remainder of season
Defender Ryan Porteous has joined Preston on loan for the rest of this season.
North End do not have an option to buy the player when the season is over.
The Scottish international was an unused substitute for Saturday’s loss to Coventry at Vicarage Road, but won’t be able to play for his new club on Saturday as they host Wycombe in the FA Cup fourth round as he played for Watford in the last round at Fulham.
The 25-year-old signed for Watford during the 2023 January transfer window with the Hornets paying Hibs £500,000 for his services.
He made 17 appearances in his first season, marking his debut in a 2-2 draw away at Reading with a goal.
In the penultimate game of that season he netted again, scoring in a 2-2 draw away at Sunderland.
Last season he was pretty much a first choice, starting 33 of the 46 league games as he made a total of 40 first-team appearances in total.
At the end of that season, he went off to represent Scotland at the Euro 2024 finals, but was sent off in the opening game against Germany – which ended in a 5-1 defeat – and didn’t play again in the tournament.
Porteous started this season in the team at Millwall on the opening day, but was then in and out of the side before missing the game at Swansea in November having amassed five yellow cards.
Upon return he had a lengthy run in the starting XI but, as the Hornets tried different shapes and personnel, he ahs only played in two of the last six Championship games.
He has made a total of 25 appearances this season, scoring in the away games at Sheffield Wednesday and Plymouth.
At the start of the window, head coach Tom Cleverley made it clear that outgoings would be as important as incomings, and Porteous follows Ken Sema, Festy Ebosele and Antonio Tikvic out of the door, while Daniel Jebbison also had his loan from Bournemouth cut short.
