Tom is no longer bitter over his Deepdale exit

The 2021/22 season would be Tom Barkhuizen's last at North End, and the summer prior to it saw him experience some of the most challenging moments in his life.

- by George Hodgson

Speaking exclusively to the Lancashire Post this week, the former PNE ace opened up on difficult times at the end of his five-and-a-half-year stay at Deepdale.

But despite a far-from-ideal end to his stay at Preston, Barkhuizen has now "let go of the resentment" he felt when he left the club to join Derby in July 2022.

He has now reached the end of his deal with the Rams and is on the lookout for a new club this summer, but has spent time reflecting on his spell with the Lilywhites.

His final season at Preston started badly, with the summer of 2021 seeing two of Barkhuizen's closest friends dealt terrible news, while his dog also passed away.

The mental struggles were serious and football, by his own admission, was difficult to engage with properly.