Preston North End

The 25-year-old has opted for a 4-3-3 formation, with two sitting midfielders and one more advanced to help out in attack.

The main thing about Kas’ that I loved was how much he wanted to be a goalkeeper. Usually it was strikers asking coaches to put on shooting sessions but he would be the first one to ask if we could do one. He just loved stopping the ball.

He’s one of the few players in here who I came through together with. He was a year older than me and he’s a left back and someone that I looked up to. When he left the club for Leicester, I stepped into his position.

We came through from school really, he’s a lad I grew up with. He’s come through the non-league scene to Rochdale and then on to West Brom, playing for England U21s now. He’s got all the attributes to be a top player.

He speaks for himself really. I don’t know how many caps he’s got for his country, but it must be way over 50, playing for the best team in the world, the biggest club. When I played with him, he was a leader on the pitch and you could just see he would make it at the top level.

When he came on loan from Norwich he played right wing, but I’ve got him as right back just because I wanted to get him in. He plays with blistering pace, inside or outside. I just thought, with playing three in midfield, he’d be perfect getting up the line and putting in some crosses for the strikers.

A competitive midfielder, box-to-box, leader on the pitch. When he came to Bury, he nearly got us promoted twice. He can just do everything from in the midfield. He’s another one who’s got potential to play in the Premier League.

I’ve played with Welshy at three different clubs and every time he has come to a Club I’ve been at, he’s been captain. That speaks volumes for him as a player, he’s a leader on and off the pitch, people look at him, loves a tackle, he’s great on the ball and he leads by example.

We were in the same year group as YTS’s at Bury. He’s a player that’s brilliant on the ball, plays the No.10 role. He’s got two great feet, scores goals, creates goals. When I was younger I was expecting him to go all the way.

He was another one, lad from London who played for Arsenal. He had the biggest self-belief of any player I’ve ever played with. Bury was just a stepping stone. He always knew where he wanted to be and where he was going to get to, and fair play to him. To go from Bury to playing in a European semi-final for Turkey just shows how much he believed in himself.

I’m sure the Preston fans know a lot about him. You don’t need me to tell you what his attributes were. He was quick, sharp, worked hard for the team and scored a lot of goals.

Bish is the best centre forward I’ve played with. When we were at Bury and we were struggling, he was someone who scored 25, 30 goals every single season. There were two seasons where he was untouchable in that league and, if it weren’t for injuries, he would have definitely got a big move to at least a Championship club.

Extended Profiles

Date of birth: 18/12/1988

Position: Midfielder

Current club: Norwich City

Professional appearances: 148

Nationality: English

Caps: 0

Elliott Bennett came through the youth ranks at Wolverhampton Wanderers, though only made two appearances for the Midlands club – both of which came in the Capital One Cup.

The midfielder was loaned-out for a lot of his time at Molineux, to Crewe Alexandra and later Bury. 

He established himself as a consistent starter at Gigg Lane in his first spell for the club, and followed that up with an impressive season with the Shakers in the next campaign.

His bright performances caught the eye of south-coast club Brighton & Hove Albion, prompting Bennett to finally leave Wolves on a permanent deal.

While with the Seagulls, the midfielder made over 100 appearances for the club and eventually earned himself a move to Paul Lambert’s Norwich City side in June 2011.

Bennett’s first season at Carrow Road not only marked his Premier League debut, but the first time the Canaries had been in the top flight for six years.

 

Since then, Bennett has been one of Norwich’s most consistent performers in England’s top flight.

Date of birth: 26/08/1986

Position: Forward

Current club: Bursaspor

Professional appearances: 164

Nationality: Turkish

Caps: 35

Tricky forward Colin Kazim-Richards is a product of the Bury youth team, having come through the Academy at Gigg Lane.

The Turkish-born forward impressed with his flair and determination on the pitch, earning himself a move away from the Shakers to Brighton & Hove Albion in 2005.

In his lone year with the Seagulls, Kazim-Richards made 45 appearances for the club, scoring six goals under manager Mark McGhee.

After just one season with Brighton however, Sheffield United came calling and secured the signature of the forward – just after their promotion to the Premier League.

During his time with the Blades, although the Yorkshire side got relegated from the top flight, Kazim-Richards often stole the headlines with his all action performances.

Once the Bramall Lane outfit returned to the Championship, the highly rated striker transferred to Fenerbahce – where he enjoyed the opportunity to play in Europe.

During his time with the Turkish giants, Kazim-Richards was selected for the national side’s squad for the 2008 European Championships, where he helped the Crescent Stars reach the semi-finals.

Since his international success, the forward has enjoyed spells at Galatasaray, Blackburn Rovers, Olympiakos and currently plays for Bursaspor.