Liam Millar’s stance on Preston North End loan move and what the future may hold

Liam Millar barely had time to take Deepdale in before he was wheeling away to celebrate Preston North End breaking the deadlock against Plymouth Argyle. The Canadian was brought in on deadline day to provide a spark in Ryan Lowe’s team - and the Preston boss couldn’t have asked for a sharper start on debut.

Millar was, for large parts, the main event in Saturday’s win over the Pilgrims. Operating at left wing-back he tracked back and carried out his defensive duties responsibly, but it was at the other end where North End’s new man just looked at home. Millar went at opposition defenders whenever the chance arose and scored a fine solo goal midway through the first half.

The former Liverpool man is happy to be back in England, having spent two seasons in Switzerland with FC Basel - from whom he is on loan with Preston. North End left it late to get him through the door, but the timing of the deal suited Millar perfectly - with no game for a fortnight and valuable time therefore spent at Euxton. With a win and goal now under his belt, Millar is only looking in one direction.

“I think the international break helped me in a way,” said Millar. “It helped me get settled with the lads and feel a part of the group. I think it was a little bit of a blessing in disguise, to give me that time to get adjusted. Since I set out to Basel, I think the plan was always to come back here - whether that was the Championship or the Premier League. Whatever that kind of came to, it was always the goal. I am just happy to be back here. My family is still only 30 minutes down the road and that’s really nice. It helps so much off the pitch and everything like that. I am in a hotel at the minute, but I’m going to move into my house next week and everything will be more settled and relaxed then.

“We’ll do the best we can, just try to keep the momentum going and show that we are able to stay at the top for as long as possible - that is the goal. I thought the reception we got when we came out and after the game - all the lads together after the line - was amazing. It is really nice to have the whole stadium involved and always involved in the game. It is amazing to be back in England and feel the atmosphere. We’ve just got to keep our heads down, stay humble and continue to improve. The players are great and the togetherness is the biggest thing, I think. The feel of this group is our biggest strength, for me.”

Millar spoke about his direct dribbling ability in his first interview with in-house media. It took him 38 seconds to showcase that and play a key role in Duane Holmes’ opening goal. Lowe was on the look out for a dribbler this summer and on the basis of Millar’s first outing, North End’s manager could well have got his man.

“I think it is my biggest strength,” said Millar. “I think I can go inside and outside. That is why I’ve been brought into the team... to bring that enthusiasm and something different. The gaffer has told me that he just wants me to go and not look back. That is exactly what I want, so it’s perfect for me.”

Millar’s last spell in England was with Charlton Athletic, where he spent the 2020/21 campaign on loan. Now 23-years-old, the attacker feels a completely different player to the one who headed to The Valley.

“A lot,” he said, when asked how much he has improved. “I think, when I went to Charlton, I was still a boy. Then I went to Basel and really turned into a man. I played a lot of European games, a lot of big games: Fiorentina, Nice, Marseille. I learned a lot of different things, so it was an amazing step for me to learn more about the game. I think it set me up perfectly to come back to England and get going from there.”

It is a straight loan for Millar at Deepdale but with more performances like Saturday, clamour to make it a permanent further down the line will only grow. For now, he is just focused on making his mark come match day.

“Yeah, I think it’s just one step at a time,” said Millar. “We can’t get too carried away with ourselves. I had a good game today and just want to keep improving, taking another step. Hopefully the next game can be the same and we can continue from there. It’s a loan to see how it goes and we can go from there.”