"Long may it continue” - Exclusive: Robbie Brady issues verdict on Preston North End teammate linked to Sunderland | OneFootball

With 14 games left to play in the Championship season, Preston North End are very much set to have a say in the play-off race.

The Lilywhites were in the same boat last season, as with five matches to go they were level on points with sixth place.

A run of just one point from a possible 15 though ended their hopes and dreams with a whimper - Ryan Lowe will be hoping to go better in the final third of the current campaign and they're certainly in a rich vein of form.

PNE have won three matches on the spin and racked up 13 points out of a possible 18, pushing them to level on points with Coventry City in sixth position and making their supporters dream of an unlikely Premier League promotion once more.

One of North End's stars this season has been Liam Millar, who was rather unproven in British football before returning to the country late on in the summer transfer window.

The Canada international winger was developed at Fulham and Liverpool, going on loan spells away from Anfield at Charlton Athletic and Kilmarnock before moving overseas to Basel of Switzerland in 2021.

After two full seasons there, Millar returned to England with PNE on a loan deal, but his performances, as well as his four goals and five Championship assists, have caught the attention of other clubs.

Alan Nixon of The Sun reported in January that Sunderland are looking at Millar as a potential summer replacement for Jack Clarke, who will likely end up leaving for the Premier League if the Black Cats aren't promoted this season, and that could be a tempting move for the 24-year-old.

PNE are in talks with Basel to try and make Millar's move to Deepdale a permanent one in the summer, but it remains to be seen as to whether a deal can be struck before his loan deal ends - his team-mate Robbie Brady however has been incredibly impressed with the fleet-footed attacker.

“Liam Millar has been an excellent loan signing this season," Brady told FLW, via Sky Bet.

"He’s given us something different that we haven’t had over the past season or two, he carries the ball well and he’s been brilliant so far this season.

"Long may it continue - he's a big threat going forward for us.”

Brady's Preston North End play-off claim

With PNE now level on points with three other sides on 48 points - albeit with an inferior goal difference - there is a real chance that the play-offs could be on, which seemed unlikely after a real blip between October and December following a flying start to the campaign.

And Brady believes that the Lilywhites are right where they want to be with 14 games to go, saying: “We’re in a better position than others - our form dipped for a period, but we showed good character to get ourselves back on track and put together some good results.

"I think we’re in a really good position now, it’s up to us in what we want to do in the last push before the end of the season. We'll be giving it our all to try and get into one of those top six spots.”

Brady praises Fulham-linked starlet Best

Like Millar, another player for PNE that has showed excitement is Kian Best.

The versatile Preston-born defender is a first-year professional and was perhaps not expected to make the step up this season, but with Jacob Slater's sale to Brighton in the summer, the teenager impressed in pre-season and was handed his chances by Ryan Lowe.

Best, 18, has appeared 10 times in the Championship for his hometown club, providing one assist with a fantastic left-footed free-kick against Sheffield Wednesday in August in a 1-0 win at Hillsborough, and his performances led to a maiden England under-19's call-up, debut and goal in November.

Game-time has dropped away for Best since he was substituted off at half-time in that very same month in a 4-0 drubbing by Middlesbrough, and he has since picked up an ankle injury, but the Three Lions youth international - who has been recently tracked by Fulham - has had his praises sung very highly by Brady.

“Through pre-season, when Kian Best joined up with us, you could see the ability he had, and at the start of the season before he got injured, he was playing terrific football and got himself called up into the England setup and had some excellent performances there," Brady said.

“I wouldn’t say I’m a mentor to him, but I help him out as much as I can, and if he ever needs it, I’m there to help if he needs someone to speak with about certain situations. He’s a good footballer and good lad overall.”