Awards nominations for Preston North End midfielders Josh Harrop and Daniel Johnson

Johnson is on the shortlist for Championship player of the year and Harrop in the rising star category.

The nominations are based on last season’s form, with Johnson nominated having been North End’s player of the year – the choice of both fans and his team-mates.

He scored 12 goals and provided seven assists.

Johnson’s competition for the best Championship player comes in the shape of Adam Armstrong at Blackburn and Sam Morsy, who was at Wigan.

Morsy has since signed for Middlesbrough after Wigan’s points deduction for going into administration saw them relegated to League One.

At the age of 24, and with his 25th birthday coming in December, Harrop being in the rising star category is something of a surprise.

The attacking midfielder was a regular in the squad, if not the starting line-up, last season – finding the net seven times, including fine strikes against Charlton and Blackburn in January.

In the Championship he made 15 starts and came off the bench 17 times.

Harrop is now in his fourth season at PNE after signing from Manchester United in June 2017.

During the summer he signed a new three-year contract and will be hoping to really make an impact this season.

In his award category he has Liverpool’s Trent Alexander Arnold and Manchester United striker Mason Greenwood among the competition.

North End players have done well at the North West Sports Awards in previous years. Joe Garner, John Welsh and Ben Pearson are among past winners.

Voting for the awards can be done at https://www.northwestfootballawards.com/vote-nwfa-2020, with the poll closing on October 12.

Details of the award ceremony – usually held in Manchester in November – have yet to be announced.

What Johnson’s future at Deepdale is remains to be seen, with Rangers tracking the midfielder.

Speculation about their interest surfaced on the eve of the season, with an enquiry from the Ibrox outfit having come a few days earlier.

That initial enquiry in which they spoke of offering £1.5m over four payments, was swiftly knocked back by PNE.