Rangers hit by keeper blow as senior star agrees terms with English club

Rangers have been hit by a blow in their goalkeeper search after Declan Rudd signed a new contract with Preston North End today.

The English Championship promotion chasers announced on their website that Rudd, 29, has agreed the terms of a three-year deal running until 2023.

This comes after strong interest from Rangers in the Norwich-born keeper, which was first revealed by Football Insider last October.

The Light Blues have been keeping tabs on Rudd’s situation over the last six months amid their search for a new senior keeper going into the summer’s window.

Number two Wes Foderingham is out of contract at the end of June, as is loaned-out Jak Alnwick, while undisputed first choice Allan McGregor turned 38 in June.

Rangers will now have to turn elsewhere to reinforce their keeper ranks.

One of their targets is St Mirren’s Vaclav Hladky, who will be available on a free transfer this summer, but there are doubts among the Ibrox recruitment team about his ability to command his penalty area.

Rudd has been in demand after an outstanding campaign in which he has been an ever-present for promotion-chasing Preston.

The keeper has played every minute of North End’s 37 Championship matches this season, keeping seven clean sheets and conceding 45 goals.

He has now accumulated 158 appearances for the club since signing permanently in 2017 after two loan spells from Norwich.

Preston were sixth in the table when the Championship season was suspended in March because of the coronavirus pandemic.