No one around Preston North End knows more about Tuesday’s visitors to Deepdale than first team coach John Dreyer.
The man affectionately known around the Club as ‘Tumble’ was part of the Bradford City squad which played in the Premier League back in the 1999/00 season.
And ahead of the clash with the Bantams, PNE.Com spoke exclusively with John about his time in Yorkshire.
“Bradford is a place where I enjoyed near on four fantastic years as a player and I have got a lot of friends still over there,” said John.
“It is a place I still enjoying visiting whenever I go back.
“There has been a big turnover of staff and certainly the players since I was last there but obviously it is a Club that is close to my heart and I have always followed them.
“I was at Wembley when they had such a fantastic cup run last season and I always look for their results.
“I also know a few of their players as well which helps this week!
“It is very pleasing to see Bradford heading back in the right direction again.
“I did go and watch them when they were on that slippery slope, but thankfully Phil Parkinson has come in and he has managed to turn things around and they appear to be on an upward trend at the moment so he has done a fantastic job there and I am genuinely pleased for the Club in general.
“I have known Phil Parkinson for many years as a player and a competitor.
“I played against him several times and I knew him from afar and I got to know him a bit just through him now being involved in a management capacity.
“I have sent him a couple of messages along the way with regards to his good fortune at Bradford.”
Those messages wishing good fortune which Dreyer talks about, will be cast aside come 7.45pm tomorrow when North End goes in hunt of three more Sky Bet League One points.
And Dreyer believes that a ‘very interesting game’ could be in store for the large crowd expected to be in attendance at Deepdale.
He continued: “The game on Tuesday has all the potential to be a good one.
“Obviously they have come off the back of a defeat on Saturday so I am sure they will want to make amends for that and we have come off the back of a sticky patch with a good win at Gillingham on Saturday.
“I think it is two teams who like to play football and I think, certainly in terms of our league positions, it will make for a good game, a very interesting game.
“I think there will be quite a few Bradford supporters there, the atmosphere will be fantastic on the night and you can’t beat a midweek evening game.”