Preston North End's 'razor focus' as Leeds United away admission made by goalkeeper

Leeds United are the opponents once again, in front of the Sky Sports cameras, for Preston North End this weekend and goalkeeper Freddie Woodman is fired up.

It's not even one month on from PNE's victory over the Championship promotion chasers on Boxing Day. Illan Meslier was sent off in the second half for Daniel Farke's side - and Liam Millar scored a stunning 89th minute winner at Deepdale, as the hosts won 2-1.

North End suffered consecutive league defeats after that win, while also losing at Chelsea in the FA Cup. But, Preston returned to winning ways last time out against Bristol City and now head to Elland Road in 12th spot. Woodman is hoping to cause another upset, this time in Yorkshire.

"It makes a massive difference when you come back into training off the back of a win," PNE's number one told Sky Sports on Wednesday. "So yeah, we've worked well all week and we are looking forward to the game on Sunday. It is a great place to play football, Elland Road, so we are really excited, full of confidence and hopefully we can go there and put a good performance on.

"It's tough for everyone in and around the football club when you are going through a tough spell. But, it is important that the team stays together and people around the training ground all stick together, to push in the right direction and try put things right. I feel like, in the build up to the Bristol City game, that is what everybody did. We had a real, clear focus going into the game and I felt like it paid off. We went back out in the second half and got the result we wanted.

"I think we've come back in this week and had that same, razor sharp focus. We will go into the game on Sunday with a game plan and hopefully we can execute it. I think it's great (away at Leeds). Having experienced it a few times now, it is actually one fixture I do look out for when the list comes out - playing Leeds away. And obviously we had a good result against them on Boxing Day, so we will be looking to try and do the same at Elland Road."

Woodman, who is in his second full season as a Preston player and has started every league game bar one in that time, was also asked about his personal goals. Having graced the Stamford Bridge turf earlier this month, North End's shot stopper assured he wants to play in the top flight again one day. The PNE man is under contract until 2025 and kept 17 clean sheets in his first season at Deepdale, but has only collected four so far this campaign.

"Yeah, absolutely," said Woodman. "I think it is every player's ambition, to get into the Premier League and obviously stay in the Premier League. I managed to get a taste of it when I played for Newcastle; I got five games all in all. Going back to the FA Cup game it did give me a bit of a buzz and make me think I'd love to go back and play in the Premier League one day. I feel like I have got a bit of unfinished business, so hopefully we can have a good run until the end of the season and you never know with this league. We could find ourselves in the play-offs and that is what the Championship is all about."