Newcastle United exit still leaves questions to be answered for Eddie Howe's goalkeeping department

Newcastle United said farewell to long serving shot-stopper Freddie Woodman yesterday but the Academy product is now eager to start a new chapter in his career.

At Benton though the question is now whether another stopper will be following him through the exit door as Eddie Howe tries to trim down the squad further.

Woodman signed for Preston on a permanent basis and will now hope to help North End turn their Premier League dream into a reality. For Woodman though being able to focus on life knowing he would not have to find another temporary deal was a massive plus.

Woodman said: "I’ve been on so many loans. People call me the youngest journeyman ever so it’s going to be nice to call Preston my home, especially for the next few years! Hopefully I can come here and really give the fans something that they deserve. "I hope I can have good performances here and get this team up the table."

Woodman enjoyed a good spell at Swansea but spent last season on the sidelines at AFC Bournemouth, bar an appearance in the FA Cup. But he will bring plenty to the table at Preston.

He said to PNE iFollow: “Hopefully I can bring a little bit of experience. I’ve spent three seasons in the Championship and managed to get to the Play-Offs twice and get promoted with Bournemouth as well, so hopefully I can bring that experience to a side that’s already got so much experience in it."

The move now leaves Newcastle with Martin Dubravka, Karl Darlow and Mark Gillespie as senior goalkeepers but with Nick Pope expected to join later this week. Darlow has been linked with Middlesbrough and Nottingham Forest but the club have not had a concrete offer for him.

Ideally, Darlow wants game-time after making just a handful of appearances. He has three