New Preston North End midfielder Ben Pearson has admitted that it was the right time for him to depart Manchester United.

The Oldham-born midfielder signed on at Old Trafford as a trainee in 2004, but despite having featured on a regular basis for the club's Under-21 side, he was unable to force his way into Louis van Gaal's senior setup.

Following two loan spells with Barnsley, the 21-year-old has now sealed a move to Preston.

Speaking to his new club's official website, Pearson insisted that Deepdale is the best place for him to continue his development, having struggled to make the grade at United.

"I got to an age where I needed to play games. I went to Barnsley this time last year and played a lot of games and played well. It was a good start to my men's football career and I thought it was best to get a few more games under my belt before I took that step up to the Championship," he said.

"I really enjoyed my time at Manchester United, and I can only say good things about them. As a young lad it is hard to breakthrough there with the players that they've got and all of the money that they can spend on players so it's time to take a step back.

"It's time to jump down a league but with a willing to get back to the top, and I think this is the right time to do that."

Pearson could make his North End debut during tomorrow's clash away at Bristol City.