Andrew Lonergan

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Andrew Lonergan (born 19 October 1983 in Preston) is an English football goalkeeper currently playing for Preston North End. He made his Preston debut as a 17 year old in a League Cup tie away at Coventry. With his progress being closely monitored by the goalkeeping coach, Peter Williams, he was sent out on loan to rivals Blackpool and Darlington. The experience of a first-team atmosphere was obviously of great benefit to Lonergan as was regarded with a contract by David Moyes to stay at Deepdale for the long term. With Moyes leaving and Craig Brown entering the managerial room at Preston, Lonergan remained optimistic about his future at the club and was held in high regard by all the coaching staff at North End. In fact, he was promoted to the first team squad for the final stage of the 2002/2003 season as an understudy to Scotland international Jonathan Gould. With Gould out injured for a period of the 2003/2004 season, Lonergan snapped up his goalkeeping gloves and stood between the sticks for the first time in the league against West Brom, two years after his debut. Gould fell out of favour soon after and Lonergan remained as the first choice until the end of that season. In excellent form, he picked up many admirers, including Manchester United, and his future seemed uncertain. He remained at Deepdale for the 2004/2005 season under the watchful eye of new manager Billy Davies, though, and played a major part in Preston's 24-game unbeaten run until a horrible injury ruled him out for the rest of that season. The then manager Billy Davies proceeded to snap up Carlo Nash from Middlesbrough to shore up the goalkeeping crisis and the rest, as they say, is history. Carlo repossessed his place for the 2005/2006 term and kept a club record of over 30 clean sheets. Lonergan himself was injured in training early in 2005, and only returned to action with a loan spell in late 2005 at Wycombe Wanderers only to become injured again due to a screw holding the ligament in place snapping. His injury has only just fully recovered as I write and his future again looks misty, this time for the wrong reasons. One of only 10 players to appear for the Deepdale outfit having risen through the youth ranks, it would be a sad day to see such a burgeoning talent depart.

He recently married Jennifer Peers and now has his first child. On the October 2, 2004 Lonergan scored a goal from his own penalty area in the 39th minute against Leicester City to equalise - the game ended in a 1-1 draw.

In November 2006 - Lonergan joined Swindon Town on a one month loan contract to gain first team football.

[edit] External link

• Andrew Lonergan career stats at Soccerbase

Preston North End F.C. - Current Squad
1 Lonergan | 2 Alexander | 3 Davidson | 4 Pugh | 5 Mawene | 7 Sedgwick | 9 Agyemang | 10 Nugent | 11 Dichio | 12 St Ledger | 14 Chilvers | 15 Whaley | 16 McKenna | 17 Ormerod | 18 Hill | 19 Smith | 20 Miller | 22 Nash | 23 L. Neal | 24 Anyinsah | 25 Nowland | 26 Stock | 27 McCormack | 28 Wilson | 29 Hinchcliffe | 30 C. Neal | 32 Parillon | 33 Mellor | 34 Beattie | Manager: Simpson