Preston North End boss explains former Tottenham midfielder Josh Onomah's short term contract and praises new Manchester City and Everton loanees

The former Tottenham Hotspur and Fulham midfielder joined on deadline day in January on a deal that lasts until the end of the season.

The news of a deal that runs out this summer was met with mixed reviews, with some supporters wanting longer security for PNE should he succeed in PR1.

That scenario – losing Onomah after good performances – is not something that Lowe is particularly worried about however.

He said: "The short term deal is for both parties. You can't go into a long term deal with someone who hasn't played as many games as he'd have liked and Josh was quite happy with the terms.

"The good news is, he's in our building and he's not going anywhere. If he starts producing then the contract will be renewed quickly. He's got to give a good account of himself to us which I'm sure he will and we've got to give a good account of ourselves, which I'm sure we will.

"That's important. Gone are the days where we just throw a two-and-a-half-year contract out to someone who could not feature many times or someone who isn't our cup of tea.

"We've done our homework on Josh and he fits everything we require in that position. The long term contract will come if he's producing and he knows that and that's what he wanted. It bodes well for both parties.”

Onomah was not the only man through the door in January, with Tom Cannon and Liam Delap both joining on loan.

The pair started up front alongside Ched Evans on Saturday and Lowe has been pleased with what he’s seen so far.

He said: “There's clearly quality in there, you've seen it. Maybe he takes a shot when he doesn't need to take a shot but we're working with that. I thought his link up play was a lot better today, getting on the end of things, being brave, hustle and bustling through - him and Liam.

"They've definitely got something different up there, with them and Ched, some balls clipped into him and he can set them either side.

"The intent was to go with a front three, I've never really gone with a front three, always a front two with two 8's running. I changed it up again to try something different and I thought it was working until we gifted them a goal.”