David Nugent – he is very quick, but to be honest I think he is quite a way from first-team action." Preston North End He started just one game for Preston in 2005–06, playing the full ninety minutes of a 1–1 draw with Crystal Palace in the FA Cup. The young striker squandered numerous chances to win the tie. He also made twelve substitute appearances in both league and cup competitions. In July 2006 he joined Rotherham United on a six-month loan. He played 22 times for the "Millers", scoring two goals. Returning to Deepdale in January 2007, he was immediately loaned out to Bradford City on a one-month deal. He made his City debut in their 1–0 win against his old club Port Vale at Vale Park on 6 January. The loan was later extended, keeping him at Valley Parade until April 2007. During his prolonged stay at Valley Parade, however, Hibbert suffered an ankle injury on 28 February and did not feature again for the "Bantams" after tests revealed he had ruptured ligaments. He remained at Bradford for a further month so that caretaker manager David Wetherall could see if the injury improved, before he returned to Preston in April. Shrewsbury Town In May 2007, having never started a league game for North End, Hibbert was transfer listed. The next month he was sold to League Two side Shrewsbury Town for a nominal £75,000 fee. He hoped Shrewsbury could improve his game. He scored the first goal at Shrewsbury's New Meadow stadium, in a pre-season friendly, his first match in "Shrews" colours. Along with this, he was also the first ever league goalscorer at New Meadow, scoring a penalty against former club Bradford on 18 August. His strong performances that month earned him a nomination for the division's Player of the Month award, though he lost out to Morecambe defender Jim Bentley. With four goals in five games in September he was a contender for the award for a second successive month, though this time he lost out to Hereford United's Trevor Benjamin. Despite suffering from a hamstring injury in mid-season, Hibbert finished the 2007–08 season as Shrewsbury's top goalscorer with twelve goals in 46 games. His goals were crucial in helping the club to avoid relegation out of the Football League. Following a solid start to the 2008–09 campaign, Hibbert was sidelined with a broken nose picked