Preston North End have had more than a few derby day heroes over the years; Brad Potts can now join that list.
Mike Conroy, Tom Clarke and Cameron Archer spring to mind for their winning goals in PNE shirts against Blackpool.
Those goals will be spoken about by PNE fans for decades to come and supporters go into these games praying that somebody makes themselves a hero.
In the latest instalment of the North End v Blackpool derby, Brad Potts stepped forward to write his name in PNE folklore.
Potts may have only scored one of PNE’s three goals against the Tangerines on Saturday afternoon.
That goal was worth so much more though, and not just because it set North End on the road to a convincing win.
Potts has been through his ups and downs as a PNE player.
Signed from Barnsley in January 2019, Potts initially made a big impact and looked like a quality goalscoring midfielder.
Fitness problems in the early stages of the 2019-20 season set Potts back sections of the fanbase got on his back.
Even when Potts signed a new contract in 2021, the comments were full of supporters questioning just why he was being kept around.
The start of 2022 sparked something of a fightback from Potts, who was transitioned into playing as a right wing back under Ryan Lowe.
Potts hasn’t won over everybody with his performances in that role but he is big, athletic and puts so much running into the game that Lowe has loved him.
The 28-year-old had one stunning moment this season, scoring an acrobatic screamer against Luton Town.
Nothing will quite compare to Saturday’s strike against Blackpool though.
Potts controlled the ball inside the area and smashed a powerful drive beyond the despairing dive of ex-PNE stopper Chris Maxwell.
You could immediately see what this goal meant to Potts as he instinctively, as if he was a lifelong PNE fan, turned to celebrate in front of the travelling Blackpool fans.
Potts spent two seasons as a Blackpool player but you would be forgiven for thinking Potts has forever despised that Tangerines just like the rest of us.
You almost wonder whether Potts would have emulated the famous Emmanuel Adebayor celebration had he scored at the other end of Deepdale.
It wasn’t just the goal though; Potts then went and absolutely thundered into James Husband mere moments after the restart.
Potts picked up a yellow card for his troubles but PNE fans didn’t care; Potts was right up for it and appeared to understand the occasion more than anybody else on the pitch.
We certainly can’t remember a Blackpool player putting in that kind of challenge on a North End player throughout Saturday’s game.
Nobody can take this game away from Potts; his time at PNE has been a rollercoaster on a personal level and Saturday finally gave him a moment that makes him a North End hero for life.