The 32-year-old Republic of Ireland international is embarking on his third season at Deepdale and is anticipated to play a key role for Ryan Lowe’s team, especially after a standout pre-season.
Brady scored a notable long-range goal in a friendly against Liverpool, helping secure a 1-0 victory, and has maintained that strong form throughout Preston’s pre-season.
Nevertheless, that impressive pre-season form will need to be carried into the Championship, starting with Preston’s match against Sheffield United on Friday night.
Robbie Brady is expected to be a key player for Preston North End this season. After an impressive pre-season, including a standout goal in a friendly against Liverpool, Brady is anticipated to make a significant impact as he enters his third campaign at Deepdale.
Our Preston North End fan pundit, Darren Watson, believes that Brady will continue to play an important role for the Lilywhites, despite his age, but that they need to create more chances for their strikers if they’re to have any chance of reaching the play-offs.
Speaking to Football League World, Darren said: “I think Preston’s key player this season is going to be Robbie Brady.
“He’s playing really well, he looks fit, and he looks sharp in pre-season, particularly in the final game against Everton at home. He looked really good, he was on point and his fitness looked like it was there.”
“He looks ready to go for the season, and he’s always been a key player for Ryan Lowe and Preston North End. He’s always put a shift in and always performs when he’s called upon.
“Another player on top of that is Emil Riis. I think he has to step up and score more goals. I know he had a really good season last season with the goals that he scored, but I think we need to perform better and get Osmajic and Riis scoring.
“Hopefully we can get up there into the play-offs this season because we know we’re quality when we’re going forward and that we can score goals. It’s just creating the chances.”
Preston North End will be aiming to finally break into the play-offs this season. With key players like Robbie Brady in form and the need for their strikers to convert more chances, they are hopeful of achieving their goal of securing a spot in the play-offs.
Preston North End frequently finds themselves in contention for the play-offs but often falls short, with late-season lapses proving costly.
Last season, they finished 10th, ten points off the play-offs, and a poor finish—losing their final five games—cost them 15 points. A stronger end to the season could have secured a play-off spot, a pattern that has been recurring in recent years.
| Preston North End’s Championship finishes | |
|---|---|
| Season | Finish |
| 2015/16 | 11th |
| 2016/17 | 11th |
| 2017/18 | 7th |
| 2018/19 | 14th |
| 2019/20 | 9th |
| 2020/21 | 13th |
| 2021/22 | 13th |
| 2022/23 | 12th |
| 2023/24 | 10th |
With the league looking more open this season, Preston North End has reason to believe that a play-off spot is within reach. The squad, under Ryan Lowe, has been a stable Championship team for several seasons, and this could be the year they take the next step and secure a place in the top six.
Key players like Robbie Brady, Emil Riis, and Osmajic will be crucial in achieving this goal, and their contributions will be vital in helping Preston reach the play-offs.