LEAGUE ONE side Preston have completed a deal to sign Cork City prospect Alan Browne.

The teenager has yet to make the first team with Cork this season, but his form in their U19 side has caught the eye of Preston boss Simon Grayson, who signed Browne after he completed a medical last night.

Preston also hope promotion to the Ireland U21 squad will aid the progress of youngster Will Hayhurst.

A regular at U17 and U19 levels, Hayhurst made his debut for the U21s in their European Championship defeat to Romania last week.

"Being on international duty will have done Will's confidence the world of good," said Grayson.

"He has not figured too much for us because of the system we have been going with. But for him to go and make his debut for the Republic of Ireland U21s is a great boost for him.

"I hold Will in high regard and he played a lot of football last season. We gave him a new deal in the summer and the lad has a bright future. He will get opportunities over the course of the season to get into our team and then to stay in it."

Browne is just the latest player to come off the production line at Cork City as a batch of players currently with English clubs came from the Turner's Cross club.

Ex-Cork men Damien Delaney (Crystal Palace), Shane Long (WBA) and David Meyler (Hull) are in the Premier League; Kevin Long (Burnley) is in the Championship; while Kevin Doyle (Wolves), Leon McSweeney (Carlisle) and Dave Mooney (Orient) play in League One; with Brian Barry Murphy and Graham Cummins (Rochdale), Alan Bennett (AFC Wimbledon), Roy O'Donovan (Northampton) and John O'Flynn (Exeter) all in League Two.