Preston North End don't have the biggest budget in the world and arguably have one of the lowest in the Championship too.

That has meant the club have sometimes had to rely on their reserve and youth teams for talent coming through to help in their first-team.

It's meant they have had to nurture and develop some of their younger talent and ensure they go on to become established members of their squad.

A lot of the time it has worked - look at Ben Davies as one example recently, who secured a move to Liverpool and has since played in the Championship again and has looked an extremely solid and reliable centre-back.

Here then, are eight of the club's best ever academy graduates and where they are currently playing their football.

Andy Longeran has ended up being one of their most successful graduates, at least in terms of the amount of appearances he has racked up so far. With 335 games to his name so far throughout his career, he's certainly ended up being the most experienced and has become a name familiar to many amongst the EFL and Premier League.

Right now, he is currently plying his trade for Everton in the top flight. He's unlikely to really feature much and is used primarily as a backup but his knowhow and knowledge of the position will likely help some of the younger shot-stoppers in the squad. He's also played for Liverpool too - and due to their success in 2019, he has a Super Cup and Club World Cup trophy to his name too. He's certainly had success in the game then.

Starting his career with North End, it was with the Lilywhites where he made his name and will go down as a club hero and legend. He played in over 300 league games over the course of his career and the vast majority of those came at Deepdale. During a 13-year stint with the Lilywhites, he was club captain and very nearly led them into the Premier League for the first time in their history. He couldn't manage the feat but he will still be held in high regard by the club for the rest of his life.

He eventually joined Nottingham Forest and then Hull, featuring less frequently for both of those sides but still being solid when called upon. In fact, he was immediately made the club captain when he joined Forest - showing how much his leadership and his ability was valued by the side. He is now out of the game, hanging his boots up in 2016 after a stint with Longridge Town.

Ben Davies started his Preston career off slowly and it took a few loan spells to really cement him as a first-team regular. After not really getting into the first-team fold, he was sent out on a short-term deal to Fleetwood. It was with the Cod Army where he managed to get regular gametime and began to show flashes of his brilliance.

Upon his return to PNE, he then became an invaluable squad member. Flourishing in their backline, he was undroppable and really solidified their defence. In fact, his performances were enough to catch the eye of Liverpool who pulled off a stunning move for the player back at the beginning of 2021. He may not have made many appearances for the Reds yet but he is still on the books at Anfield and for the club to sign him is a huge move and a huge success. Now on loan with Sheffield United, he is showing his ability yet again in the Championship.

This is a case of one that got away for Preston North End, with Josh Brownhill never really managing much in terms of first-team appearances for the club before departing for pastures new. He couldn't quite manage 50 games for the Lilywhites before he was sold on to Bristol City in 2016. He was even shipped out on loan to Barnsley at one stage and it seemed as though he was eventually viewed as not needed by PNE.

However, since joining the Robins, it has been all uphill for the player and Preston will be kicking themselves. He was bright for Bristol City and caught the eye of bigger teams, eventually joining Burnley who have given him the chance to shine in the Premier League. That is where he continues to ply his trade and he could be set for a reunion with North End next season if he ends up relegated with the Clarets this season.

In terms of his ability and his experience in the EFL, Bailey Wright makes this list next. The defender had the best stint of his career with North End, playing in well over 150 games for the club during his time there. He was a leader at the back for them and was prominent during their promotion from League One into the Championship. He even picked up their Young Player of the Season award during his time at Deepdale.

He eventually moved on to Bristol City and is now with Sunderland after a loan spell with the Black Cats. He continues to be used as a frequent option by the club and has even played for his national team of Australia. In that regard - and with the fact he is still an EFL mainstay - he can be viewed as a success.

Preston North End may have ended up with Man United and Blackburn Rovers during his youth but it was with PNE where he began his reserve career - so he qualifies for this list. He may never have played a game at Deepdale but he has certainly been a success away from the club and could be considered one of their best academy graduates. His best career stint arguably came during his time with Cardiff, where he was a frequent goalscorer and a valuable member of the first-team as they were promoted to the Premier League.

After some time with Wigan - and even a move to East Bengal - he is now back in England and playing for Fleetwood Town in League One. He's had his work cut out this campaign, with the Cod Army trying to avoid relegation, but at 33-years-old is still proving that he has plenty to offer.

Alan McCormack spent four years with Preston after coming up through their ranks but barely managed an appearance for the club. Instead, he managed more games during his various stints out on loan - including plenty of time with Motherwell. Eventually, he was sold on to Southend, the club at which he played the most over the course of his career. He went on to spend time with six other clubs (including a return to Southend after leaving the club).

McCormack ended up at Heybridge Swifts - and despite being 38-years-old, he remains a player and assistant manager there now. Having spent lots of time around the EFL, PNE certainly crafted a success in the player.

This is a name many Preston fans won't want to see on this list - especially considering he ended up leaving for nothing to a local rival. However, there is no question that Dolan has been a success so far. In 70 appearances for Rovers, he has emerged as an established member of the first-team and has shown bags of talent and potential so far. Considering his age and how much he has achieved already, it looks like he could be a real steal for Blackburn.

The question is whether or not he can keep it up. The signs are that he will but he might not be considered a proper academy success until we see how his career pans out. For now though, he has been. So PNE fans should look away from the list at this point!