NORTH End found themselves at the centre of a close-season prank when defender Callum Davidson was linked with a move to Scotland.

Scottish First Division outfit Clyde had claimed Davidson had called the club's Broadwood ground to say he would be interested in playing in his home country.

But when manager Graham Roberts came to return the call apparently made by Davidson, he discovered it was little more than a teenager on a wind up.

Roberts told Sky Sports: "We were told he wanted to move from Preston and was interested in coming here. Of course we returned the call, but it wasn't right. If people want to wind us up, we have to live with that, but it was a waste of our time."

There is no suggestion that Davidson would want a move away from Preston. Since his move to Deepdale in July last year, he has started 16 league games and scored once. The former Leicester and Blackburn left-back became a regular fixture in the team towards the end of the season, either playing at left back or in left-midfield when Eddie Lewis has been out of action

With Lewis almost certainly not returning to Deepdale at the start of the new season, attention at Deepdale has switched to bringing more left-sided players in, not losing any more.

Where Lewis will go remains a mystery.

Only Sunderland appear to be interested, but Lewis would find himself playing back-up there to established winger Julio Arca.

The answer may lie in answers given by Lewis to an American soccer website, when he spoke of his concern that, with standards rising in domestic US soccer, he may struggle to get place in the national team if he stayed abroad.