Paul Gallagher explains how he has prolonged his career with Preston North End

Paul Gallagher well remembers the time in his career when he was utilised as the ‘legs’ of the team.
Gallagher receives instructions from Alex NeilGallagher receives instructions from Alex Neil
Gallagher receives instructions from Alex Neil

It was back in the early noughties when the Preston ace first made his mark in the game – as a lone striker in the Premier League for Blackburn Rovers!

With the Blue and White halves established in the top flight of English football, Gallagher – who played 72 times for Rovers in total – was often utilised by manager Graeme Souness as the man to run in behind the opposing defence in a centre-forward role.

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The Glasgow-born star – who went on to win one Scotland cap in 2004 – would also find himself on the wing, with instructions to raid forward and deliver telling crosses into the penalty box.

Fast forward nearly two decades – Gallagher has evolved into a player almost unrecognisable from the teenage one who burst on to the Premier League scene between 2003 and 2005.

Now more of a holding midfielder who looks to retain possession and pick out passes, the 35-year-old admits that his experience is the one key asset of his game nowadays, although it his undoubted technical ability which continues to keep him relevant in his 18th season as a professional.

“I think my game has just evolved over time,” said Gallagher, who returned to Deepdale initially on loan in 2013 after previously being borrowed by the club during the 2007/08 season .

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“From a young age, I was always a striker. At Blackburn, I played up front on my own – I used to run in behind.

“I have always had that attacking instinct – I’ve always wanted to score goals, create goals. But when you get older your game changes.

“I am really fortunate that I’m a technical player and I understand the game.

“The footballing intelligence – that’s one of my strengths.

“I can see patterns happening in games and I understand what I need to do.

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“When I first came back to Preston in 2013 from Leicester City I was played out left, out right, No.10.

“Now I seem to be a No.6 or No.8 – even No.1 once!

“If you want to have a long career, you have to have other strings to your bow.

“When the manager Alex Neil speaks during team meetings before a game, I will know straight away whether I am going to be playing or not.”

Gallagher – who will be hoping to be in the PNE line-up for this weekend’s Championship clash against Hull City at Deepdale – admitted there was not a moment in his career when he realised he had to adapt his game. “To be fair I have never really had pace,” he said.

“My step ahead has always been in my head.

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“I have always been five or 10 steps ahead in my head, which when you don’t have pace is what you need to do or else you wouldn’t be playing at this level.

“I have played a lot of games now for this club and I’ve always played 
left or right or centre midfield.

“But I always remember going down to Charlton when Simon Grayson was the manager here.

“Simon said, ‘I am going to play you as a sitting midfielder’.

“I was like, ‘What?’

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“I scored two goals that day so I think he recognised that it would be good to utilise my quality on the ball.

“I had two players in front of me who could get me the ball and then I could start opening up the game.

“But then other clubs became aware of that and started putting men on me so then it’s about finding space and taking opposing players into positions where they don’t want to go so you can receive the ball, or maybe not for yourself to receive the ball but for one of your team-mates to.

“I have really enjoyed it here and been fortunate enough to play in a 
number of different positions.”