REGGAE Boy Ricardo Gardner has completed a one-month emergency loan from Bolton Wanderers FC to Preston North End yesterday, according to a report from SkySport News. Gardner, 32, has been drafted as cover by manager Phil Brown, who has seen his side depleted by injuries.
The veteran midfielder, who has played for Bolton since 1998 and during Brown’s six-year tenure as assistant manager, will be available for a month until April 6 as the club looks to avoid relegation.
With Preston sitting at the bottom in the Championship, one division below the Premier League and 10 points from safety, the Jamaican international will hope his experience can help snap a 13-game winless streak.
Gardner, coming off a long injury, needs as much match time as possible as he is currently third in the pecking order in his position at Bolton.
The left-back made just one appearance for the Trotters this term, in the Carling Cup win over Southampton in August. Bolton manager Owen Coyle was keen for Gardner to step up his return to fitness.
Coyle told the club’s official website: “Ricardo has worked really hard to recover from his injury and get himself back up to speed and Preston presents an opportunity for him to sharpen up his match fitness.”
Gardner made his return for Wanderers in a ‘closed door’ friendly against Norwegian club Molde last week and it is hoped a spell at Preston will help bring him back to full fitness before the end of the season.