Andy Lonergan has claimed Preston North End were 'playing silly beggars' ahead of his move to Leeds United in 2011. Lonergan arrived at Elland Road as Kasper Schmeichel's replacement after the Danish international made the switch to Leicester City following just one year at the club.
Despite refusing to sell him in January earlier that year, Lonergan was cast aside by Preston boss Phil Brown at the time ahead of their relegation from League One. Leeds then came in during the summer with a bid that was accepted by North End, before Lonergan underwent a medical at the club.
However, then-Everton boss David Moyes attempted to hijack the deal and Lonergan also completed a medical at Goodison Park. Speaking to Mark Howard’s ‘The Yours, Mine, Away Podcast’, Lonergan claimed that Preston were asking for 'three times' as much money from Everton as what Leeds had agreed, prompting him to seal a move to West Yorkshire due to a guarantee of game time.
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He said: “At the end of the season, Preston went down and they wanted to sell me. Leeds came in for me and as I was driving to Leeds to do a medical, David Moyes rang saying ‘come to Everton’, so I did my medical at Leeds, went to David Moyes’ house, next day I went to Goodison, did a medical.
“But Preston were playing silly beggars – they were wanting three times as much as Leeds had accepted. In the end – whether it was the right or wrong decision – I chose Leeds because I wanted to play."
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