Preston youngster Mikey O’Neill is very close to being named in Ryan Lowe’s first-team squad having really caught the eye of late.
O’Neill was spotted training with Preston’s senior players before Wednesday’s 0-0 draw with Huddersfield Town.
The 17-year-old wasn’t involved in the matchday squad, but was given the shirt number 37, seemingly poised for a bench role if anybody dropped out in the warm-up.
O’Neill recently caught the eye having smashed a 12-minute hat-trick against Walsall in the Central League last month.
Last weekend, O’Neill scored two penalties for North End’s Under-19’s against Salford City, showing great potential.
Wednesday’s inclusion in the pre-match warm-up shows that Lowe thinks highly of O’Neill, who is a fellow Liverpudlian.
A former futsal player, O’Neill can play as a number 10 or striker, with his versatility in the final third no doubt appealing to Lowe.
Lowe has now been speaking about O’Neill, firstly calling him a striker – meaning he may not be viewed as competition for Daniel Johnson’s attacking midfield role.
Lowe has been quoted by Lancs Live as saying that that O’Neill was nearly on the bench against Huddersfield having impressed in training.
The North End boss has a clear mantra; if you’re good enough, you’re old enough. That’s a great message for O’Neill and many others in the Preston ranks.
Lowe called O’Neill ‘fantastic’, praising his strength, ability to run in behind or take the ball into feet whilst predicting chances will come for him if he keeps showing this level of quality.
Preston’s youth ranks haven’t exactly been churning out quality players in recent times, but there will now be a real buzz surrounding O’Neill and his future.