Preston North End defender Joe Rafferty’s happy to swap sides!

Much of his football this season has been played on the other side of the park at left-back.

North End supporters had got so used to seeing the Liverpudlian on the left that it was something of a shock to the system to see him restored to the right.

Alex Neil has used a different player at right-back in the three matches since the restart, a somewhat horses-for-courses approach. Alan Browne did well there at Luton a fortnight ago, then Darnell Fisher was Neil’s choice against Cardiff.

With Browne in midfield and Fisher on the bench, it was Rafferty’s turn to get the nod in PNE’s historic 5,000th league game, which did not deliver the result hoped for.

All eyes will be on the teamsheet on Saturday to see who gets the nod there against Huddersfield.

Rafferty did well enough in most people’s eyes to get another chance.

“It’s been quite rare that I have played at right-back this season,” said the former Rochdale man.

“I’ve mainly been on the left and to be fair I’ve really enjoyed it.

“I just enjoy playing football, whether it be on the left or right.

“It was nice though, to be at right-back. I’m probably that bit more at home there if I’m being honest. My aim has to be to nail down a place and play as many games as possible. I’ve played a lot of games throughout my career and it does get a bit frustrating when I haven’t been involved in the squad.

“I understand that is part and parcel of football, I do understand that sometimes the manager might not want a full-back on the bench.

“The manager makes decisions for the best of the team and you’ve got to stick with that, work hard and make sure you catch his eye. Hopefully I can play the last six games.”

Rafferty had not made the matchday squad for the first two games back, even with the numbers on the bench being upped to 20. So to go from a seat in the stand to the starting XI put a smile on his face. Said Rafferty: “The legs felt okay to be fair. I worked hard during the lockdown to keep myself in the best possible shape.

“What you do doesn’t replicate a proper football game but it kept us in shape to start training again and then to play the matches.”

Naturally, Rafferty would have preferred to make a winning return to the side but North End were sunk by a Wayne Rooney free-kick and Derby left town with the three points.

Defeat saw them lose further ground in the chase for the play-offs having, really turning the heat on the trip to Huddersfield.

“We had a couple of opportunities in the game but a bit of quality from Rooney won it for them,” said Rafferty.

“Results have dropped off but it is the same people playing the same way as it was when we near to the top of the league before Christmas.

“For some reason it isn’t quite clicking at the moment. We are still up there in contention and as far as we are concerned it is all to play for.

“What we need to do is find a bit of momentum and a couple of goals to get us back up to where we were before the season was stopped.

“We are now focusing on playing Huddersfield and trying to get a win there. The pressure has to come from ourselves to go out there and get the three points.

“Huddersfield had a good result during the week and have improved from when we beat them at our place in November. We’ve got to have the belief that we can go there and win.

“If we have aspirations of making the play-offs we have to start winning and soon.

“Results haven’t gone our way for a while now and we have to get ourselves back on course.”

Rafferty’s inclusion for the Derby game was one of five changes made to the North End side by Alex Neil. It was a big shake-up, with Paul Gallagher, David Nugent, Brad Potts and Paul Huntington the others brought back together with Rafferty.

Huntington’s spell in the side has been cut short already, having received a three-game ban on Thursday for violent conduct. The FA hit him for the ban for standing on Louie Sibley who was on the floor having been lent into by Huntington as they competed for a through ball.

Rafferty said: “The players who the manager brought in were all lads who have been in and out of the team. You run through the tactical side and the manager just tells you to go out there and do your job as well as possible.

“When you get a chance it is up to you to take it so that you have a good chance of staying in for the next one.

“Footballers just love the chance of playing football.

“We’ve got six more games and all of us want to be involved in them.”