Big Interview part two: From promotion chasers to relegation candidates, Liam Chilvers recounts his second season at Preston North End

​The central defender was part of the Preston squad of 2006/07 which had agonisingly missed out on a place in the Championship play-offs by a solitary point.

And on a personal level, it had been a real breakthrough year for Chilvers.

He had become an integral member of the team, playing 45 matches following his move to Deepdale from Colchester United.

Hopes were high that PNE, under manager Paul Simpson, could kick-on again and finally achieve the Holy Grail – promotion to the Premier League.

Unfortunately, rather than fighting the good fight at the top of the league, North End found themselves treading water at the bottom.

Simpson – who had been installed as boss in June 2006 replacing Billy Davies – was sacked just 17 months later as PNE managed just three victories in a torrid start to the season.

Alan Irvine left his role as David Moyes’ assistant at Everton to take over the reins and managed to steer the club to safety, eventually finishing four points above the drop zone.

Chilvers admits the warning signs of what was to come became apparent in the summer of 2007.

A pre-season tour to the USA turned into a nightmare, while the loss of goalscorer David Nugent to Portsmouth was a huge blow.

Boss Simpson was also keen to stamp his authority on the squad by bringing in a number of new players, while discarding some of the old guard.

PNE stalwart Graham Alexander was allowed to leave to join neighbours Burnley, a decision Chilvers and the rest of the squad found puzzling.

"Paul was the manager who brought me to Preston so I had no qualms with him,” said Chilvers.

"He had been handed a difficult job coming in to replace Billy – I think the fans and the players liked Billy.

"The team started so well that first season under Paul but I remember around Christmas time, it was ourselves and Derby who were top of the league.

"Derby were, of course, managed by Billy – he had left PNE to go to Derby – and I think a journalist in one of the national newspapers had written that Billy Davies had two teams at the top of the Championship.

"I don’t know whether that had some kind of effect on Paul – that all he had done was take over and use Billy’s players.

"I know he came in and in time tried to move a few players out which always causes issues.

"Alexander leaving I have to admit was a strange one. I didn’t see a reason for him to move on – it was great to have somebody like him to play alongside in defence.

"He knew the full-back position inside out, could play other positions, was a very good player and great to have around the lads and in training.

"Nuge, of course, moved on and that dragged on a little bit. Everyone thought he was going to a certain club and then he didn’t.

“Then other players were brought in. We were expecting the captaincy to pass to Paul McKenna but it wasn’t and I just think it unsettled the squad.”

Chilvers admits the trip to America that summer turned into a shopping and golf expedition.

"Everything went wrong,” he said. “When we got out there it became apparent that we had no training facilities.

"I think we had tried to get into a big Nike complex in Portland, Oregon, but they couldn’t have us because they had a tournament going on.

"It got to the point that we were told to either go shopping or go play golf which was not an ideal situation for a pre-season tour.”

Irvine’s arrival heralded an upturn in fortunes for PNE and signalled an enjoyable period for Chilvers personally, although cruelly towards the end of that season he would suffer a torn Achilles which would keep him on the sidelines for a year.

"When Alan irvine came in, the training was brilliant – he was a really good coach and great with the lads,” Chilvers revealed. “He wanted us to play a certain way.

"He started to turn things around and ultimately, we managed to stay up. That period was really enjoyable for me but by the March of 2008, I had done my Achilles and I didn’t play again for more than a year.”