Preston North End midfielder Ryan Ledson talks of his rare opportunity to start alongside Ben Pearson

Saturday’s goalless draw at Huddersfield was the first time Ledson and Pearson had started a game together in the centre of midfield this season.

The pair were both in from the start in the 4-0 defeat at Hull in November but Ledson played at right-back that night.

“It was nice to play next to Pearo,” said Ledson.

“I thought we showed in the Huddersfield game what we can do as a pair.

“Sometimes people think it is him or me when it comes to getting the nod.

“But I feel we can operate well together in midfield.

“If there is Alan Browne or Brad Potts in front of us, we can both sit or Pearo could sit and I can bump up a bit further forward.

“If teams sit off us and let us have the ball a bit like Huddersfield did, that means I can push on.

“Sometimes a team might play two No.10s so I can drop back and mark one of them.”

The Huddersfield game was only Ledson’s fourth league start of 2019/20.

He started September’s 2-0 win over Brentford at Deepdale when Pearson was ruled out by illness.

He then had to wait until the 3-1 win over Huddersfield in November for his next start, a game Pearson was suspended for.

That grim November night at Hull had Ledson pressed into action at right-back while Pearson played in midfield.

It was a tough ask for the 22-year-old operating in a role he had not played before.

Ledson’s other four starts this season came in the League Cup and

FA Cup.

Although he came off in the closing stages on Saturday with cramp in his calf, the Liverpudlian thinks he will be fine for Wednesday evening’s trip to Sheffield Wednesday.

Ledson says he feels in the best shape he has ever been following the fitness work he did in lockdown.

PNE manager Alex Neil noted after the defeat to Derby that the midfielder had been unlucky not to have got his chance for that game.

Hence it was not a surprise to see him on the team-sheeet at Huddersfield.

Said Ledson: “I definitely feel a lot better, a lot fitter and a lot stronger since we came back to training.

“I got myself into the best shape I have been in and hopefully I’ve been showing that in training. I’d like to get more opportunities.”