Title-winning captain Ian Bryson has doubts whether the club’s policy of recruiting loan players is the best way to secure promotion, but has praised the impact of young stars

Former PNE captain Ian Bryson admits the use of the loan market is a necessity for Preston, although he says whether it helps or hinders the club in its quest for the Holy Grail of Premier League football is open to debate, writes Craig Salmon.

North End supporters have raved about the performances of young loan starlets Harrison Armstrong, Lewis Dobbin and Alfie Devine this season.

The trio arrived in the summer with burgeoning reputations which have only been enhanced by their time spent at Deepdale.

Teenager Armstrong - who has only just turned 19 - was one of the standout performers over the first half of the campaign.

Unfortunately for North End boss Paul Heckingbottom, his displays did not go unnoticed by Everton manager, ex-PNE boss and former team-mate of Bryson’s at Deepdale, David Moyes.

With the Toffees’ squad depleted, Moyes recalled Armstrong in the January window with the hope that he could lend the England youth international back to his former club.

As it is, Armstrong has gone on to feature prominently for Everton since his return, featuring 11 times in league and cup for the Premier League outfit.

Dobbin and Devine have impressed too after signing on loan from Aston Villa and Tottenham Hotspur respectively.

Exciting attacking players, the duo have shared 16 goals equally between them.

Twenty-one-year-old Devine has made 43 appearances this season, which is seven more than 23-year-old Dobbin.

The 1996 Third Division title-winning skipper often wonders whether having too many loan stars, rather than established permanent players, is detrimental to the club mounting a sustained promotion challenge.

Certainly the hope is that bringing in loan players to add that little bit of stardust alongside more established squad members will be the perfect blend to mount a promotion charge.

And the policy looked like it would bear fruit over the first half of the campaign with PNE sitting pretty in fourth place in the table .

However, the downturn in fortunes in 2026 means North End look set for a midtable finish.

The likelihood is that the talented loan trio will not be seen in a Lilywhites shirt beyond this season which Bryson admits will be a blow, but a reality of the situation for a club like PNE.

“We get quite a lot of loan players,” said Bryson, who also works as a club ambassador.

“They are good young players as well.

“But I don’t know whether that ultimately helps us; it’s just a matter of business - we can’t go out and bring in the big players who have Premier League experience.

“There are very few players who have that experience (who PNE can afford).

“I think that’s a big thing when you’re trying to get to the next level. We just don’t have the finances to bring these players in on high wages.

“I think the attraction for North End is limited because of where we are based in the North West - we are competing with a lot of big clubs.

“So we have to bring players in using the loan system, pick up bargains here and there and hope they gel.

“Other teams have done it so there’s no reason why we can’t do it, but it’s frustrating that from year to year, we don’t seem to be able to manage to do that for whatever reason.

“I think the fans are ready to cheer the team on to some sort of success but I think at this moment, we are all a little frustrated with the way this season is turning out.”

The loss of Armstrong coincided with the downturn in PNE’s fortunes.

And Bryson has tipped the Everton midfielder to go on and become a full England international.

He has also backed both Dobbin and Devine to have good futures in the game.

“If you are looking for factual statements then that is what happened - he did go back,” said Bryson in response to Armstrong’s departure having a negative impact on North End’s season.

“He’s an extremely good player and an England player of the future.

“I would say we have got one of the strongest squads we have had in a long, long while - whether the club can keep them all together for next season..?

“The biggest thing is the loan players - how do you replace them?

“The majority of the time, they have been excellent and given us that little bit of x-factor which we don’t have in terms of our own players to a certain degree.

“It’s a stepping stone for them and their futures. They are in the shop window every game.

“Will they stay at Championship level? Probably. They are a bit similar to one or two players from last season in that they may end up at a higher-up Championship club.

“Whether they are good enough to play in the Premier League that remains to be seen.”