Preston North End have been partial to bringing in a bit of experience over the years - and when it's the right kind of experience you can't beat it.

Club-bred youngsters are a bit of a rarity for the Lilywhites in the senior ranks in recent years, with players that are in and around the first team tending to be in their mid-20's, but especially in the season just gone older players like Greg Cunningham and Ched Evans were added into the mix.

When North End have had success there's usually been some senior players guiding them over the line - David Eyres in the League One-winning season in 2000, Brian O'Neil patrolling the midfield during the play-off final campaign in 2005 and Kevin Davies playing a role in PNE's promotion in 2015.

Here are the 10 oldest players to have scored in a North End shirt, as assisted by transfermarkt and other sources - and there are some familiar names to all that make the top 10.

Holden played for just two English clubs in his career, spending the majority of it at nearby Bolton Wanderers between 1950 and 1962.

The winger was capped five times by England in 1959 and three years later he departed the Trotters to join North End, where he spent the final three years of his career.

Holden won the FA Cup with Bolton in 1958 but couldn't replicate the feat with the Lilywhites, but he did score in the final they lost to West Ham United in 1964 though at the age of 33 years, seven months and four days - he left PNE a year later to move to Australia.

Following North End's loss in the 2001 Division One play-off final to Bolton Wanderers, they bolstered their defence with the £750,000 acquisition of 29-year-old Lucketti from Huddersfield Town.

Lucketti had been relegated with the Terriers in the previous campaign but he was solid as a rock for the Lilywhites, starting the majority of games in the next three years and in the 2004/05 season he was a vital part of the side that got to the Championship play-off final.

He started to feature a bit less in the second half of the following season and Sheffield United eventually signed him to add some experience to their side which ended up securing promotion to the Premier League - Lucketti's final PNE goal came at the age of 33 years, 11 months and 27 days in a 1-1 draw with Crystal Palace in September 2005.

Davidson has recently been in the headlines for his managerial abilities - he's lead St. Johnstone to a historic cup double in Scotland but once upon a time he was a fine left-back.

He spent time in the Premier League with Blackburn Rovers and Leicester City before joining North End in 2004, spending seven mostly happy but injury prone years at Deepdale.

Averaging just 24 games a season, Davidson had his issues but he scored 21 goals in those seven years and that was mostly down to him taking the penalties after Graham Alexander departed in 2007.

Davidson's final goal came on New Years Day 2011 at the age of 34 years, six months and seven days in a 2-1 loss to Derby County - and you would have guessed correct if you predicted it came from the spot.

Nugent could very well be North End's second-best bit of business behind Jordan Hugill as they signed the teenager from Bury for just £100,000 in January 2005 - he's scored 11 League Two goals in the first half of the 2004/05 campaign and made the step up two levels to score eight times in 18 outings in the Championship.

The following two seasons saw Nugent score goals and get capped for England before he made his Premier League move to Portsmouth, and after successful stints at many clubs like Leicester, Middlesbrough and Derby, he returned 'home' as a 34-year-old to sign a two-year deal with the Lilywhites.

Only it didn't go as well as his first stint with the club - Nugent wasn't the same goalscoring figure he used to be and his 24 appearances yielded just one goal, which came against Fulham in December 2019 at the age of 34 years, seven months and eight days.

In his pomp, Gallacher was a prolific striker in England's top flight, moving south of the border in 1990 after seven years at Dundee United.

He hit double figure league seasons for both Coventry City and Blackburn Rovers (twice), but after two years at Newcastle United between 1999 and 2001 he dropped into Division One with North End, who picked the 34-year-old up on a free transfer.

The Scot was used sparingly by David Moyes, making just five league appearances and scoring just one and only league goal at the age of 34 years and 11 months exactly - it came in a 3-0 Deepdale victory over Sheffield United - he departed soon after and played for Sheffield Wednesday and Huddersfield in 2002 before retiring.

When you talk about modern day club legends, Paul Gallagher definitely fits the bill when it comes to PNE icons.

'Gally' as he's known to the fans played for North End for the first time in a loan spell in 2007, then returned in 2013 on a near-two year loan deal before penning a permanent deal in 2015 - and then he remained at Deepdale until his retirement in May 2021.

Gallagher didn't score in his final season as a player, although he did only make 13 appearances - his last goal came in February 2020 at the age of 35 years, five months and 14 days after he netted a penalty in a 2-1 victory against Hull City.

Eyres was a real late-comer to the professional game after plying his trade in non-league, with North End's arch nemesis Blackpool giving the left winger his big break in 1989 at the age of 25.

A four year stint with Burnley followed before he swapped the Clarets for the Lilywhites in 1997, and he had three brilliant years under David Moyes' management.

Eyres scored 25 goals in his three years and his last one came at the age of 36 years, two months and three days when he scored after just 31 seconds against Millwall - he swung a free kick in which evaded everyone to open the scoring on a day that North End celebrated winning the Division Two title.

He may not have scored many for North End in his two seasons with the club, but Davies was definitely influential on and off the pitch.

The one-cap England international had spent 10 mainly successful years at Bolton Wanderers before moving up the M61 to join League One side PNE, and fans knew what they were going to be getting with Davies and his style of play.

Davies scored just six goals in all competitions for the Lilywhites in 90 appearances, his last coming in February 2015 in a League One clash with Coventry City which PNE won 1-0 - the majority of the rest of his appearances were just cameo ones and Davies walked off into retirement after the play-off final victory against Swindon Town.

Preston's most famous and favourite son was always going to be high up on this list considering he played for the Lilywhites until he was 38.

Finney didn't start playing professionally until he was 23 due to the Second World War, but following that he scored many goals for North End and England, remaining at Deepdale until the very end of his career.

Two weeks before his final game which came against Luton Town, Finney netted for the last time in a Preston shirt in April 1960, and it fittingly came in a 4-1 victory against Blackpool at the age of 38 years and 11 days.

One of just two outfield players to play over 1,000 professional football games, Alexander gave North End eight years of service before travelling up the M65 in 2007 to join North End's rivals Burnley for just £200,000.

Alexander was 35 at the time but he was still more effective than ever, especially when he was transitioned into a midfield role from right-back and he was able to help the Clarets into the Premier League.

The legs did start to slow down eventually though and after Eddie Howe released him in the summer of 2011, Alexander returned to Deepdale for one more season at the age of 39.

He was limited to just 18 appearances as he suffered a hamstring injury which kept him out for months, but he made one final appearance on the last day of the season against Charlton Athletic and it proved to be memorable.

Coming off the substitutes bench, Alexander curled in a last-minute free kick to make the game 2-2 at the age of 40 years, six months and 18 days - a fitting end for a great PNE servant.