Less than 40 miles separate Goodison Park from Deepdale but Jake Bidwell has decided to take the scenic route.
The Coventry man was on Tuesday due to clock up the 500th competitive appearance of his career, at Preston’s home ground – three weeks before he even turns 30, and more than 13 years after making his Everton debut at Goodison as a 16-year-old in a Europa League fixture against BATE Borisov.
The spotlight-hogging nature of the Premier League’s big six means these stories can be easily missed but it is a remarkable achievement, testament to outstanding levels of fitness, consistency and dedication, and should be celebrated accordingly.