ANDY BOYLE HAS temporarily left English Championship outfit Preston North End in search of regular first-team football elsewhere.
The central defender, who made his senior Republic of Ireland debut in the friendly defeat to Iceland last March, has dropped down a division to join Doncaster Rovers in League One on a loan deal until the end of the season.
Having been a key member of the Dundalk side that won three consecutive SSE Airtricity League Premier Division titles, Boyle — along with Daryl Horgan — left Stephen Kenny’s side in January 2017 to sign for Preston.
After making seven appearances for the Lancashire club last season, Boyle has been restricted to just five outings so far in the current campaign. The 26-year-old also reportedly attracted interest from Walsall and League One leaders Wigan Athletic.
“I’m really looking forward to coming here and getting some game time, I want to play as many games as possible and try to climb higher in the table,” he said.
“I’m fit and ready and if the manager picks me, it makes it easier that we’ve got a game coming up straight away and it’s a big game to have as my debut.”
Doncaster currently sit in 14th place in England’s third tier ahead of Saturday’s trip to Portsmouth. Manager Darren Ferguson had been desperate to bolster his defensive options due to injuries to centre-backs Andy Butler, Mathieu Baudry and Joe Wright.
