18-year-old Josh Brownhill is hoping to build on his debut season in the first-team with plenty more games and goals next campaign.
The Warrington-born midfielder began the season with the youth team but after a string of impressive performances in Nick Harrision’s side, boss Simon Grayson decided the time was right to bud young Josh into the first-team.
Brownhill made his debut coming on as a substitute in the JPT fixture against Oldham, and has not looked back ever since.
“Once I got into the first-team, it was important to adjust quickly and get use to things swiftly so that when you’re called upon, you fit in well,” said Brownhill.
“Next season though I want to kick on and play as many games as I can with more starts and more goals, and hopefully reach promotion at the end of it.”
Brownhill is no longer the youngest of the first-team crop with youngsters Jack Ryan and Nick Anderton both being offered a first-team contract with North End last month.
And the teenager has stated that the duo have what it takes in replicating him in making a comfortable switch from the U18s to professional.
“Hopefully I’ve set a good example with how to cope well with making the transition from youth to first team,” continued Brownhill.
“But I think both Jack (Ryan) and Nick (Anderton) will come in and fit in well as their dedication on and off the pitch is there, especially through the second year of their scholarship which is why they are where they are now.”
Brownhill’s success this season has been recognised in the form of the awards picked up by the youngster at PNE’s Player of the Year awards collecting a trio of honours.
“It was great, albeit a shock to win Scholar of the year, Young Player of The Year and Goal of the Year as there were some great finishes and some great players to choose from.
“It’s a strange one coming from the youth team on a Saturday playing in front of not as many people to come on in front of 15,000 at Rotherham in a Play-Off semi-final.
“I can’t put it into words how much I’ve enjoyed this year, and I couldn’t have imagined it from the beginning of the season.”