Adam Barton clocked up 35 appearances for Preston last season, despite still only being 20-years of age. Barton, made his debut in the crucial 3-2 win over Scunthorpe at Deepdale in April 2010 and the youngster hasn't looked back since.

Barton was seen as a gamble when he was brought to Deepdale as a 16-year-old after being released by Blackburn due to a back-injury. The energetic playmaker proved the doubters wrong though, and has gone from strength to strength under the guidance of PNE.

It was at the start of last season when Barton began to make a name for himself as one of the hottest prospects outside the Premier League, and scored his first goal in North End colours away at Turf Moor against local rivals Burnley.

Barton's early season form saw him named in the Northern Ireland squad for their Euro 2012 qualifiers in September 2010 despite being English, as he qualified to play for the country through his parents. He withdrew from the squad the day after the announcement as Adam didn't want to lose his eligibility for England by playing an competitive international.

However Barton did make his Northern Ireland debut in November playing the full 90 minutes against Morocco in a friendly match. Barton's international career took another twist in March when he was called into the Republic of Ireland U21 squad for a friendly against Portugal, playing the full match.

The central midfielder still has the option of representing either England, Northern Ireland or the Republic of Ireland.

Some may not be aware that Barton is a man of many talents, as away from the field he is the drummer in a band. This musical talent runs in the family, his Dad being the lead singer of 1960s pop-combo The Animal.