Preston stick with Stuckmann

Preston North End are poised to offer German goalkeeper Thorsten Stuckmann a new contract.

Stuckmann's current deal runs out this summer but an official statement from North End on Tuesday afternoon confirmed the League One club would be in touch with his agent regarding fresh terms. Lilywhites boss Simon Grayson hopes to retain competition in his goalkeeping department having expressed an interest in keeping England Under-21 international Declan Rudd on the back of a successful loan stint from Norwich this term. Former Stevenage defender Luke Foster will be released when his deal expires at the end of June while Chris Beardsley, Chris Robertson and Andy Procter are available for transfer despite having a year to run on their contracts. North End have also offered contracts to second-year scholars Ben Davies, Ryan Croasdale and Steven James but Josh Amis, Brandon Zibaka, Jack Sowerby, Alan Scurry, David Kuba-Kuba, Matt Greenwood, Daniel Forbes and Adam Thurston must all seek pastures new. Grayson said: "At this moment in time the football club isn't in a position to have a development squad. "If we had been in the Championship, four or five of these players would probably have been given contracts to try and continue their development. "The scholars we give contracts to have to affect the first team in the next six to 12 months and (we) feel the ones offered contracts have the best opportunity to do that, although the others can consider themselves very unlucky and we offer them all the very best in the future."