Preston North End keeper Declan Rudd lifts the lid on touchline spat with fans

Rudd was making his way to the tunnel at half-time when the supporter in the Alan Kelly Town End aimed a ‘disrespectful’ personal comment at him.

The 29-year-old didn’t take it lying down and gave a bit back at the time.

North End trailed 1-0 at the time but hit back in the second half to win 2-1 thanks to goals from Paul Gallagher and Alan Browne.

Rudd said: “It was only one person who said something which was pretty disrespectful to myself.

“It was a personal thing, not about the team.

“Being in game-mode I was very hyped up and probably should have just ignored it. But when someone puts a personal attack on you like that, it sort of gets to you a little bit.

“It was great to get the support I have had from the other fans since then – I’ve had some great messages on social media which has been amazing.

“It is nice to know that one person’s opinion isn’t backed up by everyone.

“As I say, I should have ignored it but it just caught me a little bit.

“There’s a lot been said about what players can and can’t say, what they can and can’t do.

“I am what I am, if I have something to say I will usually say it.

“This one just caught me a little bit off guard, hit a personal spot.

“The support I’ve had since is much appreciated and hopefully this is a 
one-off.”

Stood at one end of the pitch close the crowd, Rudd has been in the game long enough to know that players gets stick.

It is an occupational hazard for keepers hearing the opposition fans try and bait them, Rudd having no issue with that.

“Things get shouted all the time,” said Rudd who will face West Bromwich Albion at The Hawthorns on Tuesday night (8pm).

“It’s just not normally from your own fans or a fan.

“The opposition fans will always shout stuff at you, try to put you off, which is part and parcel of it.

“You try and block it out, it comes with the game.

“Saturday was just a bit different.”

The victory over Hull kept North End in sixth place and squeezed the gap on the three sides directly above them – Fulham, Brentford and Nottingham Forest.

Their promotion credentials will certainly be put to the test this week, with the Baggies clash followed by Saturday’s visit to Fulham.

Tuesday night’s hosts are four points clear at the top of the table and looking good for a return to the Premier League after a two-season absence.

They boosted their squad in January for the run-in by making three key signings, one of them the loan deal to bring former Deepdale favourite Callum Robinson to the Midlands from Sheffield United. Kamil Grosicki joined from Hull, with Lee Peltier recruited from Cardiff.

Said Rudd: “These are the types of games you want to play in. We are going against the best team in the league, as things stand.

“West Bromwich’s squad is pretty much a Premier League squad with the talent they have in there.

“At the start of the season their squad was one of the best in the league and in January they added to that.

“It showed their intent to go out and get what they want and it seems to be working for them.”

The Lilywhites, and Rudd in particular, could view the visit to The Hawthorns as something of a revenge mission.

In December Albion won 1-0 at Deepdale thanks to a last-minute penalty given against Rudd for a supposed foul on Kyle Edwards.

Replays showed no contact but referee Oliver Langford pointed to the spot and Charlie Austin netted. North End were without a host of defenders that night and had done superbly to hold the Baggies at arms’ length.

“I have to be a bit careful about what I say but it was a bad decision in the game at our place and it cost us the game,” said Rudd.

“These things happen in football but thankfully we are still in and around the position we were.

“It was gutting at the time, I haven’t felt like that after a game for a long time.

“I’ll admit it hurt at the time.

“Fortunately not too long after that game we started to find our form again and we are up there challenging.

“We are excited to be in the position we’re in.

“I know we’ve been in and around it for the last 
few seasons but we are in a really good position at the minute.

“There is one point between us and third place.

“We have to embrace the situation, the lads are enjoying being there.”