Robbie Brady's honest Preston North End admission as Blackburn Rovers determination high

It hasn't been plain sailing for Robbie Brady this season, but he loved being back on the pitch - in a Preston North End shirt - on Wednesday night.

The Irishman made his first start since December 23rd and his seventh of the season, as Preston beat Middlesbrough. Brady put in a steady shift down the left for Preston, with Liam Millar moved over to the opposite flank - in Brad Potts' absence.

It's Brady's second season at Deepdale, having extended his deal by two years in the summer. The number 11 has had some tough moments this campaign - his red card at home to Cardiff and injury at Swansea. He is, therefore, hoping his latest performance can set a platform for progress, but the immediate focus is on recharging for Saturday's derby against Blackburn Rovers.

"That's it yeah, just get yourself back in the best shape you can," said Brady. "It's a quick turnaround, but overall I think most of us have come out in good enough shape and are ready to go again. It was definitely my best performance for a while. I enjoyed the game. It was tight, but very enjoyable. I thought we defended well when we had to.

"We'll be looking to add to that come Saturday. It was an unfortunate one for me against Swansea, to go down, but I have been working hard since then. I feel fit and ready to play. I feel like I've been training well, waiting on an opportunity and hopefully I can keep that form up now. I have obviously been wanting to play more over the last few months and I feel like I'm in a good place. Physically and mentally, I am ready to play."

PNE have won their last three games, to go level with sixth placed Coventry City. A change in shape and consistency in selection has boosted Preston's form. But, Brady - who has experience of success at this level - knows the importance of not getting too high and thus losing focus.

"Definitely not," said Brady. "At the start of the season, we said to just stay on a level keel. Results have not gone our way over the last while, but we are lucky enough that we didn't end up falling too far out of the picture. Now we have put ourselves back in the frame with some good wins. As long as you can stay in touching distance in the final stretch, it is all about timing - if you are in and around it at this stage of the season. We will be giving it everything we can to jump into one of those spots and we will see where that takes us."