Lukas Nmecha could play for Germany at the World Cup just years after Preston North End fans were left divided on him.
The list of Premier League loanees that haven’t quite worked out at Preston but succeeded elsewhere just seems to grow and grow.
Andy Carroll, Danny Welbeck, Josh King, Stephy Mavididi and Anthony Gordon all fit that bill.
So does Nmecha, who joined Preston on loan from Manchester City back in August 2018.
Nmecha was seen as a major coup given his reputation in the City ranks but his season at Deepdale was mixed.
There were moments of outstanding quality from Nmecha and you could see his ability on the ball but the physical side of the Championship didn’t quite mesh with him at that stage in his development.
That meant Nmecha often played out wide under Alex Neil and he finished the 2018-19 campaign with three goals and seven assists to his name.
Some weren’t convinced by Nmecha at the time and unimpressive loans at Wolfsburg and Middlesbrough didn’t exactly change opinions.
Nmecha really kicked on during a loan spell with Anderlecht in the 2020-21 campaign, bagging 21 goals in 41 outings.
That tempted Wolfsburg into re-signing Nmecha, this time permanently – and their faith is being repaid.
The 23-year-old hit 10 goals in 31 games for Wolfsburg last season and already has three goals in nine Bundesliga games this term.
Nmecha has now secured seven caps for Germany on the international stage and he faces a nervous wait in the coming weeks.
Germany boss Hansi Flick will be naming his squad for the World Cup in Qatar, where Germany will take on Japan, Spain and Costa Rica.
Nmecha will seemingly fight it out with Karim Adeyemi and maybe even wildcard Niklas Fullkrug for a spot on the plane with Germany short of striking options.
Nmecha has now told WhoScored that his loan spells – including that one with Preston – have really helped his development and shaped him into the play he is today.
The striker noted that it’s an honour to play for Germany and to even be selected is a major compliment given that Wolfsburg haven’t been in great form this season.
Four years ago, Preston fans were offering some mixed views on Nmecha but may well tune in to see him playing at the World Cup in a matter of weeks; it’s maybe another lesson not to write off young players, especially loanees, too early.