Tom Barkhuizen reveals why he believes Preston North End WILL make play-offs

Tom Barkhuizen thinks that Preston North End’s team spirit and underdog tag can carry them far when football gets back on its feet again.
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The Lilywhites might not be regarded from the outside as one of the Championship’s big movers and shakers but frontman Barkhuizen says the belief is strong within the squad that they can go places.

When the season was suspended on March 13, PNE were sixth in the table and a point clear of seventh place despite losing three matches on the bounce.

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The possibility of the EFL season restarting on June 6 has been mooted, with nine games and the play-offs to be fitted into a 56-day period.

Preston North End winger Tom BarkhuizenPreston North End winger Tom Barkhuizen
Preston North End winger Tom Barkhuizen

Whenever it does resume, Barkhuizen is confident North End can make a real push to cement a top-six position and compete in the play-offs at this level of football for the first time since 2009.

Speaking to 4Pro football academy, Barkhuizen said: “If you don’t have belief in what you are doing, what is the point?

“We know we are not one of the big clubs in the league, we don’t have the big players or big wages but what we have got is a good team spirit and some good players who are appreciated in the league.

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“When the season starts again it is a case of hitting the reset button.

“The last nine games are effectively like a new season.

“We have come up against everyone in the league and done pretty well. West Bromwich are the only team who have been incredibly difficult to play against.

“We matched Leeds in both games and got two draws, we beat Fulham once and lost once, we drew against Bristol City and got four points off Blackburn.

“As a club we have changed our mentality since the gaffer came in. We are not just happy to finish mid-table and to do all right, we want to do something special.”

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If North End could make the play-offs and indeed be successful, Barkhuizen thinks that will be special.

He has scored 11 goals this season in that quest – nine of them in the league.

Said Barkhuizen: “It would mean so much to us.

“I’m not saying there is a right way or wrong way of going up but we don’t overspend and we are not one of those clubs who is always bordering financial fair play.

“It would be nice to pull off something special, that is the main focus for the last few games when we do come back.

“We want to go up, that has always been the aim.

“As a club we seem to be massively underestimated, we don’t get the coverage a lot of teams do.

“We’ve been in the top six for the majority of the season but still people don’t talk about us.”