FIRE US INTO THE PREM, JORDAN!
JORDAN Hugill has been urged to forget about a move away from Deepdale and, instead, help Preston mount a promotion push.
Hugill is one of the hottest properties in the Championship and has scored ten goals already in a season where North End moved to just outside the play-off places before the weekend.
In the summer, the striker was in demand, with Wolves, Birmingham and Reading all chasing his signature, the latter having an £8m bid rejected. Leeds and Bristol City have both been linked this month.
The 25-year-old former NonLeague hot shot slapped in a transfer request at the end of the summer window – but the club rejected it.
Instead of sulking, Hugill has got his head down and put Preston in the play-off picture at the halfway stage of the season.
Reacted
Team-mate Paul Gallagher admires the striker’s attitude and hopes he will still be at Deepdale to help finish off the season in style. Experienced midfielder Gallagher said: “A lot of things happened in the summer and maybe another player might have reacted differently. But Jordan stayed strong, didn’t let it affect him and he has been banging the goals in. “He is hungry. You only have to look where he has come from and his background to see that. “He has worked very hard to get where he is and he loves it. He is not one to sulk. “What will be, will be, but at the moment he is a Preston player and he is doing a good job for us. Long may that continue.” Preston got off to a good start to the season under new boss Alex Neil, but, with eight defenders injured in September, they managed just
By James Andrew
one win in nine games. However, one defeat in the last 12 games in all competitions ahead of the weekend has put the Lilywhites within touching distance of the top six, as well as making progress in the FA Cup.
They visit Sheffield United in an all-Championship fourth round tie next Saturday.
Gallagher was quick to praise Neil for changing the style of play after he took the reins from Sunderland-bound Simon Grayson last summer.
He said: “Under Simon, we were a team that played on the counter. When we came up from League One, we twice finished 11th, sat back more and then hit opponents on the break.
“But Alex has come in and wants us to be more high pressing, to pass the ball and dominate possession. I think we have done that very well.
“There are a lot of clubs in front of us, but we want to go on a run and challenge for the playoffs.
Explain
“Aston Villa were nowhere near at the beginning and they have come roaring back. Bristol City have started to lose games, so there are plenty of twists and turns still to come.”
Gallagher’s own season has been far from predictable. At the end of last year, he started to feel tired and lacked energy.
At 33, he is one of the senior members of the squad but that was not enough to explain how he was feeling.
A trip to see the club doctor led to a diagnosis he had shingles – something that caught the midfielder by surprise.
“With an injury it is frustrating, but you know the rehab and time-frame to get back,” he added.
“But, with shingles, I had no idea. I had about two-and-a-half weeks off and then I was back training hard and fighting for my place.”
Now Gallagher hopes there are no other blips to come as Preston eye a promotion bid.
Ideally with Hugill at the heart of it.