Alex Bruce returned to Deepdale after being voted into the Legends of the Town End, a tribute to former stars of PNE.
Bruce left a lasting legacy at North End in his two spells with the club, ranking second in the club’s all-time leading goal scorers, behind only the great Sir Tom Finney.
The former forward looks back at his time in navy and white very fondly and he spoke to iFollowPNE about both his inclusion on the wall of the Town End, and his exploits that earned his spot.
Speaking during a visit to Deepdale, Alex said: “It’s a fantastic honour and I enjoyed every minute of playing for PNE. To be honoured by the fans, it doesn’t get much better.
“I’ve said before, I never thought I was that great a footballer; there were better footballers than me. But I think the fans appreciated that I just wanted to play in the penalty box and I wouldn’t give up in the penalty box, that was my role and I think it stuck in the memories of quite a few of them.
“That’s all I’ve ever wanted to do, from being a schoolboy and every team I’ve played for, I just wanted to hit the back of the net.
“I never really concentrated on the other parts of my game but if I had my time again I’d still do the same thing.”
Not only was signing for North End a life changing moment for Bruce, it also meant he got out of school!
“It was funny because in Scotland at the time you could sign on an ‘S’ form but you had to stay at school, so you only trained during the week and it meant another year at school.
“But Jimmy Scott, who was a North End scout, lived in Dundee and he got a few Scottish players down and luckily I was one of them.
“Just joining the club and seeing the stadium, I just took a shine to it right away. I absolutely loved it – the first time I ran out onto the pitch was amazing.
“Being a footballer. It’s every schoolboy’s dream and it was mine as well.
“To actually get the games under my belt, I always wanted to play as many games as possible and get as many goals as possible, and luckily I got a few goals.”
The love that Bruce has for North End hasn’t gone away over the years, instead it has been passed on down his family – given the appreciation he still receives for his performances, the 65-year-old is upbeat about his recent form.
“I’ve not played a bad game for years! Since I retired! People have great memories.
“I always thought if the supporters have watched you and they’re happy with your play and they can reminisce about a few goals then you’ve done something right in your career.
“I come on about four or five times a season and enjoy every minute. The fans are still great with me and they were when I played. I will always love Preston North End.
“I bring my grandchildren on now, they’re PNE fans. They look hard to beat, they look good going forward. They just need to put a bit of a run together.”
You can watch the full interview with Alex Bruce by clicking on the video above.