One of the players in the North End dressing room yet to experience the Championship is Daniel Johnson, but he is thrilled at the prospect of what’s to come.
The 22-year-old spoke to PNE.Com ahead of the inaugural home game of the 2015/16 season and said that he was looking forward to getting started.
“I have heard a lot of things about the Championship,” he told the official website. “I’ve heard about how good teams are, how good players are, going to decent stadiums and I am really looking forward to it as I am sure all the other boys are as well.
“We have a lot of experience in the dressing room. I am one of the younger boys in the team, but I am sure whatever team the gaffer selects on Sunday, and for the rest of the season, will get the job done.
“We haven’t set any targets, but I am sure we will do well. There will be people out there doubting us and not expecting us to do well, but we are confident in our abilities together and I think we can do well and prove everyone wrong.”
The opposition are familiar enough to the Jamaican-born new No.11 and he feels the Lilywhites can shock a few people with their quality: “I watched Middlesbrough in a few games last season and they looked like a good team.
“They have a lot of decent players, so it will be a test, but if we are at it and we do what we know is best, we can come out with a decent result.
“It will be different for us early on. Playing in League One last season the level is totally different, so we will go into games not knowing as much about teams and they will go into games not knowing what our strengths and weaknesses are, so it is up to us to exploit that, find out what other teams’ weaknesses are and try and exploit them.
“It is going to be different, harder, but we are looking forward to it – it is going to be exciting.”
The Championship appears at first sight to be the perfect match to someone like Johnson, a ball playing midfielder who likes to get forward: “If a player like myself has more time on the ball, then that suits me more,” he continued.
“I am looking forward to the challenge because I have heard a lot of things about the Championship and hopefully I can do well and the team can too.
“All the teams in the Championship are big teams and I am going to see something new. Going to stadiums I have never been to before, playing in front of new crowds and it is exciting. We have to stay focused, get the job done and hopefully have a successful season.
“I am looking forward to the derby games as well, especially away from home, it is going to be fantastic and a really good season.”