BRETT Ormerod hopes to come up against his boyhood club next season - once he's helped Preston North End into the Premiership.

The 29-year-old striker was unveiled to the media at Deepdale yesterday after moving on a free transfer from Southampton.

For Ormerod, who was released by Blackburn Rovers as a trainee only to kick-start his football career at Accrington Stanley in 1996, the chance to move back to Lancashire was too good to refuse.

He said: "I think the last six to eight months at Southampton have been the most frustrating of my career.

"I had been on loan at Leeds and Wigan and at the end of last season I fully expected to stay at Wigan but for whatever reason, it didn't happen.

"But once I heard Preston were interested last week, I wanted to come, not only to be back in Lancashire, but also because I know what a good team they are.

"When I was at Leeds, I remember Preston being probably the best team I played against and I certainly think we've got what it takes to get into the Premiership.

"I hope to be a Premiership player next season, with Preston, because every footballer wants to play at the top. I've scored in every league now, but I don't expect to walk straight into the first team.

"There is a lot of competition here for places and it is a strong squad and I expect to have to fight like everybody else."

Ormerod, who moved to Southampton from Blackpool for £1.75million in December 2001, is still mystified as to what went wrong on the south coast.

He said: "There have been so many managers, I don't know who to ask about it.

"They had some good players, and I was up against James Beattie and Kevin Phillips at one point but when I could get into the team, I did score goals and manage to hold down a place.

"But I don't know what happened in the last few months. I tried my best but you'd have to ask the managers why I wasn't playing. It was a difficult time there after relegation."

Off the field, Ormerod is busy moving his family back to Lancashire, and the former Norden High School, Rishton, pupl said: "We've bought a house in Mellor and I'm looking forward to being around here more.

"We've put the house down south up for sale and once that goes through, the Clampets will be moving back up here, which everyone is very pleased about.

"I don't know about being able to pursuade my family to come to all the games though, there's a right mix of clubs in my family.

"Most are Blackburn Rovers fans, with some Burnley, but there are one or two Preston fans in there too. Everyone's really pleased I'm back."

And should he get the chance, he hopes to watch his old side Stanley - who he scored 32 goals for in 40 games - push for promotion back into the league.

He said: "Whenever I've had the chance, I've gone along to watch them but being closer should make it easier to see them more often.

"What they've achieved is great and I hope to see them a lot more and hopefully they can go all the way into the league again. That would be great news."