Jermaine Beckford: Preston sign Bolton striker after promotion

Jermaine Beckford helped Preston end their record of losing in their previous nine play-off campaigns

Jermaine Beckford will join Preston on a two-year deal from Bolton Wanderers from 1 July after helping North End win promotion to the Championship.

The striker, 31, scored a hat-trick at Wembley in Preston's League One play-off final win over Swindon last month.

He joined the Lilywhites on loan from Bolton last November and the former Everton and Leeds striker netted 18 goals in his 31 appearances.

"It is somewhere that feels like home," Beckford told the club website.

Asked what made him decide to move, he said: "The management - we've got such a great understanding and relationship.

"It's something that seems to work really well, I'm happy with it, so it was a no-brainer to sign those papers."

Beckford was playing non-league football until the age of 22 when he moved to Leeds, and the Jamaica international has also had spells at Scunthorpe, Leicester and Huddersfield.

The end of the season, where he scored six goals in Preston's play-off campaign, was in contrast to three months ago when he considered quitting the game because of the pain of an ear infection.