While admitting he wishes PNE could have kept their Play-Off hopes alive heading into the final two games, Will Keane has “really enjoyed” his first full season back at Deepdale.
The striker, who spent half of the 2015/16 campaign on loan with North End, returned to the Lilywhites in the summer and has played a key part for Ryan Lowe’s side this term.
Will has found the back of the net 13 times in 36 appearances in the Championship, sitting comfortably as the team’s top goalscorer.
Will said: “I’ve really enjoyed it. I think coming into the group I felt really welcomed and at ease straight away.
“I think especially with the start we got off to and with the buzz around the place, it was just really enjoyable to be a part of.
“I feel like I hit the ground running and I was pleased to do that. I then had a few little hiccups with niggles which was frustrating but over the course of the season I’ve just enjoyed being a part of the team.
“Like I said, we would have liked to have ran it right to the wire and stayed in the mix with the Play-Offs, but there’s been a lot of positives to take and things we can hopefully look at to improve on for next year to give ourselves a chance of going a bit further.”
There’s still time to collect points this campaign, though, with Leicester City coming to Deepdale on Monday night and then a trip to West Brom on the final day.
In the Foxes, PNE are taking on a side who have already accumulated 94 points and they’re a step away from sealing the league title.
Will said: “It's an outstanding return. They’ve come strong again, especially off the back of their last performance, which you expect top players like they’ve got to respond that way.
“They probably did have a little wobble for a few weeks where they could have bridged the gap a bit more, but they’re still in a great position and fair play to them.
“They’re full of quality throughout the squad and we’re aware of all the threats they pose. When we look at ourselves we also have plenty to offer and threats who can cause problems and hopefully we can do that on Monday night.”
