[themaclad]

Preston North End are pleased to confirm Liverpool defender Sepp van den Berg will return to the club on a season-long loan.

The 19-year-old defender, who has played four times for the Reds’ senior team, joined the Lilywhites on loan in February for the remainder of the 2020/21 campaign and went on to feature 16 times in the Championship.

Sepp becomes PNE's second signing of the summer, following the arrival of Liam Lindsay from Stoke City, and he will report to pre-season training at the beginning of July with the rest of the squad ahead of his first full season with the Lilywhites.



Speaking after completing the deal, Sepp said: "I’m very pleased. I said it last season at the end that I would love to come back and I was really happy it worked out. I’m just looking forward to playing a whole season now and playing from the start.

“Hopefully I’ll see the fans very soon and of course see the players and the staff again. I really enjoyed last season so I’m just really excited for the upcoming season."

Meanwhile, head coach Frankie McAvoy said: “We’re absolutely delighted. We’re very grateful to Liverpool for allowing him to come back here and obviously to Sepp for choosing to come back to us.

“He loved his time here last season. He’s a young boy learning his trade and for me he’s fitted in well with a group that made him feel welcome and a part of it.

“He came as a right centre back. He didn’t get many games playing in that position, but he fitted in really well as a right back and then as a right wing back. I thought he was fantastic. I think he’s done really well and we’ll see how he does at right centre back.

“What he’s got to try and do is go again for the second time and hopefully produce what I and the coaching staff believe that he’s capable of.”