PROMISING young defender Jordan Storey, from South Petherton, has completed a move to Championship side Preston North End for an undisclosed fee.

The 20-year-old centre-half made 17 appearances in all competitions for Exeter City in 2017/18, becoming a regular towards the end of the season as the Grecians made it to the League Two play-off final.

Storey played the full 90 minutes at Wembley, but the Devon side lost 3-1 to Coventry City and the defender has grasped the opportunity to move to a higher level.

Storey, who represented Chard Town Under-18, is the latest Grecians academy product to progress to a higher level, following in the footstepls of the likes of George Friend, Matt Grimes, Ollie Watkins and Ethan Ampadu.

His new club Preston finished seventh - two points outside the play-off places - in last season's Championship table and are managed by Alex Neil.

Upon completing the move, Storey told the Preston website: “It is a new challenge for me and I can’t wait to get started at a big club.

“I now want to learn as much as I can. The manager is going to mould me and build me into the best player that I can hopefully. It was nice to speak to him and to get to know him and I am looking forward to getting started.

“The last couple of months have been great for me. We managed to get to the play-off final [at Exeter City]. It didn’t manage to work out for us, but on a personal note, from where I have come from, it has been great for me.

“It is a cracking stadium and it is different to what I have been playing in regularly and I can’t wait to get started and show what I am about.”

Exeter City manager Matt Taylor said: “The transfer is testament to Jordan’s hard work.

“Eighteen months ago he was very much at a crossroads in his career but he has knuckled down and worked hard. He has really worked at his game and every day he has come in with a mindset to improve.

“His physical attributes will mean that he can play at the highest possible level and if he keeps on learning and developing as a centre-half, with the same desire and effort that he has shown at Exeter, then we have got every confidence that he will go on to do himself and our club proud."