As part of the EFL’s Youth Development Week, we’re putting the spotlight on Academy product and England U19 international Kian Best, who has made the breakthrough to the first team this season.
There was a time, not all that long ago, where Besty thought he might not make it at Preston North End.
A local lad who had progressed all the way up through the Academy may just have fallen short at the final hurdle.
But then came a scholarship. Then came a league and cup winning double. Then came a call-up to the senior team. Then came a professional debut. Then came a debut goal for England U19.
What a journey it has been.
Speaking for the matchday programme in November, Kian said: “I remember being one of, if not the last to be offered a scholarship and I was having serious conversations with my dad about whether I should be looking at other options.
“Obviously now though I’m so glad that I stayed given everything that’s gone on to happen.
“I believe in myself and I know how good I can be, but everything just happened so quickly that of course I didn’t think it would go like this. But I feel like I deserve to be here.”
Kian, from Moor Nook, was playing for a Sunday League team in Ribbleton – managed by his dad and a coach named Terry – who were beating anything and everything they were coming up against.
Terry then became a scout at PNE and decided to take his team on trial with him, and five players – including Besty and Kian Taylor – signed on.
Making their way through the age groups, the end goal is always to get that two-year scholarship once you hit 16, but unfortunately it doesn’t happen for everyone.
Kian reminisced: “I remember having meetings with the club and my dad where I basically had six weeks to sort myself out or I could be going.
“I think I was always good technically, but maybe not so much with the fitness side of things.
“My birthday is late August so there were always lads in my age group who were basically a year older than me, so it just took me a little bit longer to grow up and into my body really.”
There would certainly be no regrets from North End for giving Kian his scholarship, though, as he went on to play a big part in the U19s’ 2021/22 league and cup double, which he describes as “the best changing room” he’s been involved in.
He flirted with first team training towards the end of the 2022/23 campaign, before being a part of pre-season last summer and that’s when he really forced his way into contention.
So much so that – helped by an injury to Robbie Brady – he ended up getting the nod on the first day of the Championship season, for his professional debut.
“It was a bit of a crazy time to be honest,” he laughed. “Coming in during pre-season, I would never have expected to start that first game.
“I went on to start the first four, we didn’t lose one of them and we were top of the league so things were great.”
North End fans love to see one of their own come through, and Kian is very much that. He’s been going on Deepdale since a young age and was there at Wembley to celebrate PNE’s return to the Championship in 2015.
Little did he know that he’d now be representing the club in that division, let alone also earning the attention of his national side.
After being on standby on a couple of occasions for England U19, the left-sided defender earned a first full call-up in November.
Kian explained the moment he found out: “It was after training on a Thursday and the gaffer rang me, but I nearly didn’t answer because I didn’t have his number saved!
“Obviously I was buzzing but I couldn’t tell anyone other than my mum and dad really until the squad came out the next day I think.
“It was crazy but I don’t think I realised how big it actually was until I arrived at St. George’s and met all the lads and the staff. It was a mad experience to be fair.”
Kian and his national teammates trained for a day at St. George’s Park before then flying out to Marbella to play a three-match tournament.
Upon finding out the youngster was due to start the first of those matches against Romania for his England debut, manager Ryan Lowe flew out to support the defender and also ended up trying his hand at photography to help us here at the media team out.
Kian said: “I was looking forward to playing the night before and it was obviously a really special feeling when the national anthem started playing.
“I knew the gaffer was going to be there and I was looking around for him when I was singing the national anthem, but I couldn’t actually see him because he had a camera in front of his face!
“It was a good feeling knowing he was there watching.”
Things couldn’t have gone much better in that first game as Kian assisted with a trademark cross from the left, before then firing a stunning strike beyond the goalkeeper in a 6-0 victory. It was “the perfect debut” as far as Besty was concerned.
He was then a starter for the next match against Japan, too, and this time he had around 20 family members in the crowd cheering him on, which he admitted was special.
England won that one and then the third and final match as well, which saw them lift the Marbella Cup at the end of a “very good” week.
The left wing-back will be looking for more experiences like that during the current international break, as the Young Lions face games against Morocco and USA.
