Preston North End stopper Andy Lonergan is delighted that he is no longer regarded as the last player to emerge from the Club's youth system.
For years Lonergan, along with Paul McKenna, was pointed to as a last product of Preston North End's youth policy, but the Preston born keeper has now passed on that mantle to the likes of Danny Mayor and Adam Barton and he admits that he is excited about the latest crop of prospects.
Lonners watched both Mayor and Barton make their full debuts in the 3-2 win over Scunthorpe last weekend and he was full of praise for the pair of them, particularly Barton who he admits was something of an unknown quantity to many.
"Danny and Spid [Adam Barton] are quality players," Lonergan said as he looked forward to this weekend's game at Coventry.
"Adam Barton is probably one of the most underrated players, because nobody has heard of him, but he's a brilliant player, I've got a lot of time for him as a player and he's a great lad as well.
"I thought he was magnificent on Saturday, he did a job and Danny got more and more confident as the game goes on. Those two just need confidence, I was saying to Spid all week that it would be easy for him, he's that good. We don't want to put too much pressure on them, especially the others who might not be at Danny and Spid's level at the moment."
Coincidentally it was at Coventry City that Lonergan made his Preston North End debut and it's almost nine years since the keeper made his League debut with a man of the match display in a 3-2 home win over Watford. The keeper has made close to 200 appearances for the Lilywhites since that league debut in April 2001, but he admits that being the local lad to come through the system does have it's downsides.
He said: "It is difficult making an impact anywhere. I wouldn't say you get any favouritism coming through the ranks, if anything I think it goes against you a little bit.
"Personally I would have rather have come from somewhere else, it's hard to explain how it feels, I wouldn't say it is pressure but you can get overlooked if you have come through the system.
"When you come through the system it is difficult because when a new player comes in they automatically jump ahead of you because they have paid cash for you. I sometimes feel that I would be appreciated a lot more if I had been bought by the club. It's not a feeling from within the club but certainly one I get from people on the outside.
"Youngsters coming through is a good thing, hopefully we can produce more and people can start getting behind them. We had a few of the youngsters training with us on Thursday and they all did well. I don't know what the plan is for Saturday but I am sure a lot of them will be around the squad."
There are no worries about the latest batch of youngsters being overlooked by North End's current management, Darren Ferguson has publicly declared that he's keen to blood more youngsters as the season draws to a close. The pressure is off the Lilywhites as after they secured their Championship status last weekend and Lonergan is expecting another keen battle against a Coventry side who need points to secure themselves a place in this division for next season.
Lonergan said: "It has been a good week, we can enjoy it a bit more now, it has been intense but a lot of the lads are playing without any fear in training and hopefully we can take that into Saturday.
"You have got to play with a little bit of caution because you don't want to give too much away. In training though you can see that everyone has received a lift, everyone is in good spirits, it has not been a good season but we can look forward to next season.
"Coventry have got some good players, some very sharp players going forward. They have got a very good goalkeeper, he booms it a mile and I know they have got someone who takes throw-ins and he can chuck it in from the half-way line to the box so we know it is going to be a battle."
Lonergan is keen to be involved in as many games as possible between now and the end of the season, the North End custodian is currently on a recordbreaking run of consecutive games for the Lilywhites having played a run of 145 games for PNE without a break. It was a run which started at Coventry's Ricoh Arena in September 2007 and a stretch which has only been matched by one player, current record holder Joe Martson who played 191 consecutive fixtures for the Lilywhites from 1951 to April 1955.
"I have no idea what is in the manager's mind but I want to play every game, no matter what game it is, I'm in the 140s now and I want to keep going," Lonergan said.
"Obviously you are going to make mistakes and this season I have made a few, the Sheffield Wednesday one I hold my hands up, I seem to be taking the blame for one at Crystal Palace but that was a blatant handball and all the players and staff can see it, but the press don't see it that way.
"The little things don't bother me as much as they used to and I think that is making me a better player. If I mess up on Saturday I am bothered, of course I'm bothered, but I'm in a position where as a goalkeeper stuff is going to happen which you don't want to happen, it's more about how you react to it."
