PRITCH’S REALITY CHECKA
ALEX PRITCHARD will never take his Premier League status for granted – because only 18 months ago he was playing in the Checkatrade Trophy.
The Huddersfield midfielder is determined to make the most of his third chance in the top flight, having arrived from Norwich for £11million in January.
And victory over Everton today would just about ensure safety for the Terriers – a remarkable achievement for the club with the division’s lowest wage bill.
It would also be a perfect early birthday present for Pritchard (above and below), who turns 25 next Thursday and is keen to make good on the promise he showed as a youngster at Tottenham. He missed out on a breakthrough at Spurs, then failed to make an impact while on loan at West Brom – and could not get back into the Premier League with Norwich after an £8m move to Carrow Road.
His biggest test of character came when then Canaries boss Alex Neil dropped him to the Under-23s for a Checkatrade Trophy match at Barnet early last season.
Pritchard came through it as Norwich won 5-0, but has never forgotten the lesson. He said: “It was a mental test, but that’s just football. I know there were 400 people at Barnet in the Checkatrade Trophy, but there are people there watching and saying things about you.
“You don’t want them saying, ‘Ah, Pritchard turned up today and there were 400 fans there and he didn’t want it. He was moaning and he had his head down’.
“There’s always light at the end of the tunnel. You go from playing at Barnet for the Under-23s to Huddersfield in the Premier League. It’s just perspective.”
Pritchard is eager to test himself today against Wayne Rooney, who was England captain when he was in the Under-21 set-up.
He said: “From the age of 18, when the guy moved to Manchester United for God knows how many millions, to being in that situation where I’m in the Under-21s and he was just one level above, it was amazing to see where he got to and where I could actually be.
“To play against him would be fantastic. I learned from him that mindset is a massive thing in football, especially for young kids coming up.
“You can have all the talent in the world, but if you don’t want to work hard, you’ve got no chance in football.”