Risk and reward as Robbie Brady signs new Preston North End two-year-deal

Brady was one of four players to be offered new terms to stay on in PR1, with Daniel Johnson, Greg Cunningham and Josh Onomah all also being offered contracts.

PNE’s no.11 signed a one-year-deal last summer and many may have expected the 31-year-old to have signed on for another 12 months, but Brady now has a bit more stability with a two-year-deal.

His time at Preston has always been a case of risk and reward. When he was first linked with a move to Deepdale, and indeed signed, there were no question marks about his ability or pedigree.

He’s spent much of his career at the highest level in England and has featured 60 times for his country. Brady was the type of player that fans were calling out for, someone who has been there and done it, someone who knows the demands of the Premier League and what it takes to get there. Someone who could hopefully raise the level at Deepdale.

That was the reward the Lilywhites would hopefully get should he stay fit, the biggest doubt over the accomplished wide man.

Brady had just come off the back of 12 months riddled with injury at Bournemouth and his five years at Burnley never reached 20 league games in a season. The biggest question was could Brady stay fit and could PNE keep him fit?

We’re 12 months into what could be three years of Brady at Deepdale and so far, so good. He’s not set the world alight on the pitch, sometimes he had to settle for a place on the bench but there was a time early on in the campaign where he was placed in the middle of the midfield to make sure he got on the pitch, such was his influence.

One thing we did get out of Brady was a full campaign with little mention of his fitness and availability. With that now under his belt – his 34 games was the most in a league season since 2015-16 at Norwich City – we could see him find that extra level in the next campaign. Two years could be seen as a bit of a risk to some, but North End won’t be able to have it all their own way and the player is entitled to a bit of stability after proving he can go a full season again.

PNE likely won’t be judged too harshly on tying down the Irishman, whatever happens, more so on how many others stay on and their future business in strengthening last season’s squad.