Midfielder could be offered route back into football by EFL Championship side but lack of match fitness could prove a stumbling block

A former Rangers midfielder could be close to ending his stint as a free agent with EFL Championship side Preston North End reportedly considering a transfer swoop.

Greg Docherty has been without a club since parting ways with Charlton Athletic on September 2, following a successful spell in which he helped lead the Addicks to promotion to England’s second-tier.

The 30-year-old arrived at Charlton after leaving Hull City and quickly established himself as an influential figure, both on and off the pitch at The Valley. He made 90 appearances for the south-east London outfit, scoring five goals while also serving as club captain.

After struggling to break into the Rangers first-team following his arrival from Hamilton, Docherty moved to Hull City where he won promotion from EFL League One in 2021. He repeated the trick with Charlton Athletic four years later, and went on to become the Addicks' club captain. Departing the Valley in August, the 30-year-old is still looking for a new club. | SNS Group

placeholder image — After struggling to break into the Rangers first-team following his arrival from Hamilton, Docherty moved to Hull City where he won promotion from EFL League One in 2021. He repeated the trick with Charlton Athletic four years later, and went on to become the Addicks' club captain. Departing the Valley in August, the 30-year-old is still looking for a new club. | SNS Group

Now, the former Rangers man - who spent two years at Ibrox between 2018 and 2020 after joining from fellow Scottish side Hamilton Accies - might have the opportunity to return to football and continue his career in the Championship, with Preston said to be among the clubs considering his availability.

According to the Lancashire Post, new Preston boss Graham Alexander has been assessing the free-agent market in search of players capable of strengthening his squad. Journalist Alan Nixon has since reported on Patreon that Docherty is one of those names under consideration.

The report suggests the experienced midfielder could provide an immediate solution for the Lilywhites, with Docherty understood to be keen to get back playing regularly again as soon as possible.

Reflecting on his departure from Charlton, Docherty spoke warmly about his time at the club and the responsibility of leading the team, stating: “To be named captain of such an iconic football club was nothing short of a privilege.

“I felt the weight and expectation that title carries, but I can wholeheartedly say I gave my absolute all to represent the club properly every single day with the upmost respect that I felt it deserved through the good and the bad moments.

“I’ll always be grateful for my time at Charlton and everything the club has given me, but football moves fast I’m now excited to see what the future holds.”

Preston boss explains concern about signing free agents

A move to Deepdale could represent the next step in Docherty’s career and he will now be hoping an opportunity materialises to finally end his search for a new employer, although Preston manager Alexander has admitted that concerns over match fitness could complicate any potential deals.

Speaking last week about the possibility of recruiting unattached players, Alexander said: “Yeah, we’ve sort of spoke about that this week in particular actually. Looking at who’s potentially available, if they can come in and help us, potentially.

“The problem you’ve got there is you’re probably bringing in players who are not at the level fitness wise to help us in the short term. Unless they’ve been training with a team consistently or with the PFA and stuff like that. That’s the information we’re trying to find out right now.”

Preston are therefore working to establish which potential targets would be ready to make an immediate impact in the short term. Whether Docherty ultimately emerges as the right fit remains to be seen.

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