Alan Browne making strong Sunderland impression ahead of Preston North End return

Alan Browne is earning early rave reviews at Sunderland, but may well find himself on the bench for Tuesday’s trip to Preston North End.

The Lilywhites face Regis Le Bris’ side in the first round of the Carabao Cup, at Deepdale. North End go into the game having lost Friday night’s opener against Sheffield United, while Sunderland ran out 2-0 winners at Cardiff City on Saturday.

For Browne, it is an almost instant return to the club he spent more than a decade at. This summer saw the Republic of Ireland international leave PNE, having racked up 414 appearances in a North End shirt. He started Saturday’s game alongside Dan Neil in midfield - it’s fair to say his new team mate is excited to see that partnership develop.

Neil said: "Alan’s got an unbelievable engine, unbelievable legs. We knew that from when we played Preston previously. Every time we’ve come up against him, we’ve talked about the unbelievable engine he has. He’s a bit more of an experienced head in there as well, which helps us because me and Jobe (Bellingham) are still young.

“We’ve got experience for our age, but Browney has been around for a long time. He’s a good leader on the pitch, and he’s got quality in possession as well. He did a few driving runs, and I thought him, Trai and Pat linked up really well on that right-hand side. I’m sure you’ll see more of that as the season goes on.”

Browne slotted straight into the starting lineup, with the attacking quartet of Patrick Roberts, Jobe Bellingham, Jack Clarke and Eliezer Mayenda ahead of him. However, Le Bris has suggested he will use the midweek match as an opportunity to rotate his team.

He said: “I think it is a good option to have the whole group continuing to grow. So, we will probably have a second team - with the players who did not play today.