Next step of Josh Seary’s big Preston North End test after early Deepdale hype

There has been big belief in Josh Seary for a while now at Preston North End, with a degree of expectation placed on him from a very early age. At 16-years-old, Seary committed to signing a professional contract with the club - alongside Noah Mawene - before his two-year scholarship had even started.

The Lilywhites had clearly seen something in the teenager to warrant such backing and faith. Seary stepped on to the first team scene in the summer of 2021, training with the senior squad in pre-season and featuring away at Celtic that summer under Frankie McAvoy. He went on to enjoy great success with the academy, winning the league and cup double in the 2021/22 campaign.

A loan spell at Warrington Town followed the season after, along with regular appearances for PNE’s reserve side in the Central League. It can be hard to know how much to take away from those fixtures, which are played at training grounds and sometimes lack the edge you see week-in-week-out in the Championship.

But, Seary’s raw tools and traits have been evident over the last year or two. Manager Ryan Lowe admitted the full-back ‘needed some work’ in July of last year and that clearly got through to the player. Three weeks ago, PNE’s boss said: “The next step for him is going to be League Two I think... we will then monitor that situation, because I think he’s got fantastic talent and is maybe long-term for Preston North End - hopefully.”

As shown in recent years, it is easy to fall out of the picture as an academy product at PNE. But Seary is still there, and at 18 his motivation should be higher than ever, with the path perhaps as clear as it’s been. For one, his academy team mate Kian Best is shining on the Championship stage - seizing his unlikely opportunity with both hands.

The plan is to get Seary out on loan for now, preferably to League Two, but his professional debut has been ticked off and he is seeing Lowe give a fellow youngster first team minutes. Brad Potts is first choice right now but with him 29-years-old, Seary should be determined to succeed the number 44 when the time comes. The system used by the manager suits him, as a player who likes to get forward.

There is room for improvement in all aspects of Seary’s game, but the youngster’s aggression and attitude will always serve him well. The fearless streak of Best has caught everyone’s eye and Seary is a similarly unfazed character. As seen in the first Central League match of the season, Seary wants to contribute in the final third. His lovely second half brace saw PNE beat Bolton Wanderers 2-0.

After the win on Tuesday, he said: “It’s going good. I couldn’t have asked for a better couple of weeks to be fair. I just need to keep playing well, keep trying to score and hopefully get better every day, to keep improving. It’s important to get minutes into the legs and obviously you don’t know who’s watching, so you’ve just got to do your best.”

League Two will be the biggest test for Seary yet if Preston can get him there. The Salford City cup clash was indeed a challenge, but a needed learning experience for the player on debut. He doesn’t appear to be looking too far ahead right now; simply keeping both feet on the ground while striving for continuous improvement. Lowe sees Seary as a potential first-team player one day; he has to want that shirt more than anything in the world.