One of the most common phrases around Preston North End in recent years has been ‘don’t fall in love with loan players’.
Sepp van den Berg, Cameron Archer, Alvaro Fernandez and Tom Cannon all captured the hearts of PNE fan before departing at the end of their loan deals.
Here we go again, this time with winger Liam Millar.
The Canadian arrived on deadline day, penning a season-long loan deal from Basel.
Millar has been impressive from the very first minute at PNE, dazzling on his debut against Plymouth Argyle.
Formerly of Liverpool, Millar has been exactly what PNE needed; a quick and tricky wide man who isn’t afraid to attack defenders and create a bit of magic.
Liam Millar terrorises Leeds United as PNE produce big win
We certainly saw that on Boxing Day.
Millar was a constant menace against Leeds United, giving their wonderkid Archie Gray absolute nightmares down the Leeds right.
Millar set up PNE’s opener with a cross for Alan Browne’s goal before the wide man won it by jinking past Leeds defenders and firing a stunner into the net to seal an unexpected 2-1 win.
Two goals and three assists in the last four games mean Millar has been shining despite some difficult PNE results and today’s performance has only heightened the excitement.
We come back to that original point though; Millar is not a permanent PNE player and displays like this will, inevitably, spark interest from other clubs.
Millar’s ability to go past defenders and produce the big moments has earned him comparisons to another former loanee Aiden McGeady, but his situation feels a little more similar to that of Ross Wallace back in 2009…
Permanent Millar move can shape PNE season
PNE fans will remember the brilliance of Wallace, who joined on loan from Sunderland back in the summer of 2008.
The Scot excelled down PNE’s left flank under Alan Irvine and left North End fans chanting for him to ‘sign on’ as the January window approached.
North End duly obliged, striking a permanent deal to land Wallace on a four-and-a-half-year deal.
Wallace signing full-time was a major boost for all around PNE at the time and supporters will remember a stunning goal away at Birmingham City towards the end of the season, helping North End sneak into the playoffs.
PNE now face a similar situation with Millar; within touching distance of the playoffs and possessing a loan winger who has the talent to potentially push North End back into the top six between now and the summer.
It’s hard to think of a January signing who could boost the North End fanbase more than a permanent deal for Millar and fans will be calling for a deal until the January window ends.
Craig Hemmings and Peter Ridsdale were both in the stands to watch Millar absolutely destroy Leeds and we can imagine that the temptation to give Basel a call this evening will be strong, with the Canadian quickly becoming PNE’s top transfer priority for 2024.