WIRE DEAL HAS GIVEN ME WINGS, SAYS JOSH
JOSH Seary says his productive loan spell at Warrington Town has helped his game grow – and now he is looking to push his way into the Preston North End first team.
The right wing-back spent the first half of the season with the Yellows in NPL Premier and impressed the club so much he had his original loan extended until the New Year.
But with his time at Cantilever Park now expired, the Republic of Ireland Under-19 international looks back on his first loan spell away from the club with fond memories.
“It’s a different style of football and a different atmosphere but it improved me as a player,” said the 18-year-old second-year scholar at Deepdale. “It was important to go out and get experience week in week out.
“When I walked in there, there was plenty of big characters, but you’ve got to go in and play your own game and then gel with the lads. The entire squad was amazing with me, they were all top lads and I can’t speak highly enough of them.
“They all made me feel very welcome, so it was easy to settle really and I think I’ve improved definitely. I was playing well – probably the best I’ve played to be honest with you – whilst coming against experienced people and it’s probably helped me off the pitch too by turning me into more of a man and helped me mature.”
With returning to Preston now the focus, the wing-back will be concentrating on getting into Ryan Lowe’s Championship plans.
Since joining the Lilywhites just over a year ago, boss Lowe has worked with the club to help create a clear pathway for academy players to learn the philosophy he drills in at Preston, then pick up experience out on loan before being ready for first-team action.
Indeed, Seary is full of praise for the former Plymouth Argyle boss who has included a number of academy players in firstteam training sessions over the past 12 months.
“He’s a fantastic manager,” Seary said of his fellow Liverpudlian. “He sticks to his philosophy, and it works because players buy into it. With wingbacks, the ‘eights’ and the two strikers, it works and he’s a good manager to have around.
“It helps that we’re from the same area but there’s characters like Whitey (Ben Whiteman) and Ched (Evans) who help you out as best as possible and tell you to play your own game and not worry about what anyone else is thinking which helps a lot.”