Cresswell joined First Division club Preston North End on loan for the remainder of 2000–01 on 10 March 2001 and scored five minutes into his debut, a 2–0 win at home to Wolverhampton Wanderers (Wolves) on 14 March. He came on as an 82nd minute substitute in their 3–0 defeat to Bolton Wanderers in the 2001 First Division play-off Final at the Millennium Stadium on 28 May 2001. After scoring two goals in 14 appearances he signed for Preston permanently on a four-year contract for a fee of £500,000 on 14 July 2001.