Kian Best set challenge by Ryan Lowe as Preston North End team mate assures support

Preston North End manager Ryan Lowe says Kian Best was ‘terrific’ in the early part of the season and must now keep pushing after dropping out of last weekend’s squad at Rotherham.

The first-year pro played for the youth team last Saturday, having made five appearances for the first team this campaign. Best was thrust on to the Championship stage on the opening day of the season at Bristol City, before going on to play against Sheffield Wednesday, Swansea City and Sunderland. He also started the Carabao Cup clash against Salford City.

Best, 18, signed a two year professional contract this summer after impressing for the youth team. He was heavily involved in PNE’s pre-season and then found himself in the team at Ashton Gate. He provided a glorious assist for Preston’s winner at Hillsborough and made a couple of errors in home games, but Best’s courage impressed Lowe - who believes it is important to keep the youngster playing games.

"Yeah, it is," said Lowe. "Besty has obviously had a little bit of a setback, in terms of coming out of the team, being on the bench and then playing for the youth team. But, he is still only a baby and he's got a long way to go. It is how you now react to the situation of playing that type of football. He's been up with us on merit, earlier on in the season, because we needed him and he was fantastic in everything he did.

“But then, when you have the quality that comes back into the building; he is still around and training hard every day. But now it's a reset for Besty, to go again. He has been terrific and what he has got to do now is keep pushing himself, working himself and doing the right things - which we will make sure he does. Sometimes it is hard dropping back down to the kids football, to that level, when you have been with the seniors and played Championship football. But, these are the tests and it's now a real test for Besty to keep pushing on.”

After Best’s early appearances, North End signed left sided loan man Liam Millar and Robbie Brady has also returned from injury. The latter made his first start at Rotherham, having watched on from the sidelines in the first few matches of the campaign. Brady liked what he saw from Best and assures the youngster will receive the backing of the senior players. He thinks there are so many positives for him.

“One hundred per cent,” said Brady. “I spoke to Besty throughout pre-season and you could see the qualities he had as soon as he came in: strong, confident and a grounded lad. He has been excellent and started the season winning games, which will only do his confidence good. He is still learning and still a young lad, but he’s got some great attributes and we’ll all help him here to push forward and do as well as he can because he’s a good lad and very good player. He’s got a great left foot on him.”