Preston North End boss Ryan Lowe has spoken out regarding the decision to send Calvin Ramsey back to Liverpool.

The defender had been on loan at Preston for the entire season, but the deal was cut short this month.

Lowe admitted that he had been hoping to keep him for the season, but injuries and illness meant that he was unable to get the rhythm and game time he may have expected.

"It was a bit unfortunate for Calvin," he said, via the Lancashire Post. "He is a fantastic lad and his attitude and application, he did everything right. We had to get him up to match speed, for the Championship and he obviously had a setback when he first came.

“He played against QPR and did okay, but it was his first game for a while. He came on against Middlesbrough at half time as well, so he had some minutes. Lo and behold, he got Covid after QPR and missed two or three games, then was out of the squad.

"All of a sudden, he found himself out of the squad and the lads who were in there, were doing well enough. The squad was the squad and the bench was the bench.

“We had a chat, me and Calvin, and I said: 'look, we are not leaving you out for a reason, you've got to force your way back in now - the squad is the squad, it's settled'. He was fine with it, no problem. But, I think we've come to a mutual agreement with Liverpool that he's not playing enough minutes or getting enough game time.

"I think it is probably best that he goes back, and he potentially may go out on loan again somewhere else. So yeah, from me, all the staff, players and the football club, we wish him all the best. We were expecting him to be fit and ready early on in the season.

“We'd agreed to sign him early doors, from July time. He was hoping to come on the pre-season tour with us, for two or three days just to integrate with the group. But, we couldn't get him there because there was still a bit of work for him to do. And when he did join us, he wasn't fit enough."