Sheffield Wednesday nearly sealed a promotion straight back to the Championship at the first time of asking last season, only to fall at the final hurdle.

One player who helped them to be in amongst the top teams in the division though was loanee Jordan Storey, who joined the side on a deal from Preston in January. He went on to feature in 19 league games with two goals and one assist and became a fan favourite during his spell with the Owls.

Having now returned back to Deepdale, Darren Moore's side have likely got their heart set on a reunion with the 24-year-old this summer.

 

 

However, their hopes have seemingly been handed a blow though now, with Preston boss Ryan Lowe quite happy to keep the centre-back at the club going forward and use him as an option at the back. The PNE boss told Lancs Live that the player will 'fight it out' with Bambo Diaby for the right-sided slot at the back in his current formation.

That means that any hopes of Wednesday trying to seal the player on a new transfer or loan deal might be gone because Lowe clearly intends to use the defender more often in his own plans going forward. Prior to his loan though, Storey managed only 15 starts in the season previous with North End.

That might also mean that the Owls need to search for other potential options at the back - and Storey instead might have much more of a future with the Lilywhites under the former Plymouth boss.

The Verdict

Jordan Storey has been in and out of the Preston team in recent seasons but after impressing for Sheffield Wednesday, it appears he is very much back in their first-team plans.

He was solid for the Owls in League One and whilst the division is a step below the Championship, the signs are there that he could use the experience to become a much better option in the second tier. He didn't fare too badly for North End before either, minus the odd mistake or two.

Now that he has 117 EFL games behind him, he is well-versed in most levels of the football pyramid and could now become the defender that he threatened to be upon initially moving to Deepdale. He'll at least get the chance to do so, as it appears he will be battling it out for a centre-back spot.

Bambo Diaby appears to be his main competitor and it could be good competition for the position. Diaby looked sharp when he came into the fold and Storey has previously been outstanding in certain games for the club, so it looks like he might stay on at Deepdale now.