Lukas Nmecha’s time at Preston North End was a little mixed – and he has now opened up on the long-ball tactics in his time at the club.
Nmecha was a major coup for Preston in August 2018 as he arrived on loan from Manchester City.
Considered to be a hot prospect at City back then, Preston fended off major competition to sign Nmecha.
Whilst many predicted goals galore for Nmecha in the Championship, that didn’t quite happen.
Nmecha finished his Preston loan spell with just three goals. Nmecha did though contribute seven assists after carving out a new role.
Primarily a striker when he joined, Nmecha ended up playing out wide for Preston.
The physicality of the Championship was a little too much for Nmecha at that stage in his development, with Alex Neil taking him out of that role.
Nmecha has gone on to become a star after leaving Preston. 21 goals in loan at Anderlecht last season earned Nmecha a big move to Wolfsburg, and he already has eight goals in 21 games for the Bundesliga side.
Now 23, Nmecha is developing well in Germany but hasn’t forgotten his time at Preston.
Speaking to The Athletic, Nmecha has admitted that the ‘fighting’ in the Championship just wasn’t suited to him.
Nmecha even admitted that he remembered his Preston debut, which came in a 1-0 defeat at Swansea City.
Nmecha claims he had never received so many long balls before, admitting that the game was ‘horrible’ and ‘like a shock’.
That stint at Preston may have toughened Nmecha up a little, but it seems he didn’t exactly love his introduction to life at North End.
“I think (at Anderlecht) it was a little bit of a step back from the Bundesliga and the Championship, where it was just fighting,” said Nmecha. “Especially the Championship. It wasn’t something that I grew up with, playing that way. I’m sure it improved me physically and mentally, but I’ve been brought up in the City academy, where it was always about ball possession.”
“I remember my first game for Preston — Swansea away. I’d never received so many long balls before in my life. It was pouring it down with rain, it was a horrible game, and it was like a shock,” he added.