Plymouth Argyle interim manager Kevin Nancekivell has praised Lewis Gibson after his move to Preston North End.

The 24-year-old defender, who joined the Pilgrims on a free transfer from Everton in the summer of 2023, moved to the Lilywhites for a reported fee of around £1.5m on Friday.

The money has helped finance the club record purchase of Ghanaian midfielder Michael Baidoo from Swedish side Elfsborg as Argyle try and move away from the bottom of the Championship.

“I think Lewis has been outstanding for us,” Nancekivell said after the 0-0 draw at Stoke City.

“As a person he’s become one of our family and become close to a lot of people at the club – players and staff.

“I think it’s a credit to everybody at the football club that we’re developing players.

“We’re not always developing them ourselves for a long period of time, and we couldn’t keep Lewis for 10 years as we’d all like to, but we’ve got him on a fee of nothing as a young player.

“We developed him and he’s progressed so well we’ve ended up selling him for some money. That’s not to be sneezed at and we should be proud of that, and I think that goes to show what the development and the work of all the staff at the football club is all about.”