Emil Riis admitted he couldn’t be happier with how things are going at the moment, having scored four in his last four.
The Dane has only recently returned from almost a full 12 months in the treatment room after suffering an ACL injury in the opening game of 2023.
You never really know what to expect from a player who returns from such a serious setback, but there’s been no signs from the striker that he hadn’t kicked a ball competitively for a year.
On his form, Emil said: “It’s a great feeling. This is what I’ve dreamt of for the last year, so I didn’t expect to be playing as well so early on. Obviously I’m very happy with scoring goals and helping the team.
“I knew my body was going to be probably stronger than it was before, but I have found my feet so well already.
“I thought I was going to take more time to get back into it. I’m still working on getting back into stuff, but I’m very surprised.
“It’s always the first goal that’s the hardest one so I think after I got that I got all the confidence that I’m going to kick on and score a lot of goals, so I’m very happy.
“People see me smiling round the building all the time so I couldn’t be more happy.”
While goals are of course the main objective for the 25-year-old, he’s also enjoying helping his teammates, such as Will Keane, who he has partnered up top in the previous six league outings.
Breaking the deadlock inside minute one. 💥#pnefc pic.twitter.com/QkbclTvdF6
— Preston North End FC (@pnefc) February 24, 2024
Emil feels that the strike duo and Mads Frøkjær in behind have developed a “good understanding”, which he hopes can continue, starting this weekend.
North End take on a team in Hull City just three points ahead of them, and the Tigers currently occupy the final Play-Off spot.
Emil said: “It’s really a six point game. If we win the game we’re even and if they win they’re six points ahead of us.
“It’s a big game for us, a game we definitely can’t lose, so we need to go out there and do everything we can to win the game.
“It’s always great to play in front of the fans and to win in front of them is great – to be at home where we belong.
“It needs to be horrible for teams to come to Deepdale and I think lately we’ve done that.”