After the departure of Greg Cunningham and the likely departure of Kevin O'Connor, Alex Neil moved swiftly to add a left back to his squad to give competition to youngster Josh Earl.
Hughes had one year remaining on his contract at Peterborough and decided to join Preston after negotiations over the fee were concluded. He fits into the recent category of a young hungry player from the lower leagues.
There will now be competition at left back which will be healthy and also assist in case of injuries.