It's been an eventful season for Preston North End to say the very least this term.

The Lilywhites began the season in dismal fashion, with a run of just one win from their opening eleven games putting the pressure on manager Alex Neil, who must have been fearing for his job at Deepdale.

A 4-0 thumping over local rivals Wigan Athletic then seemed to flick a switch at the Lancashire club, with North End embarking a run of one win in twelve league games, lifting them up to the lower midtable positions, erasing any doubts over the Scotsman's future at the club.

Having already made four signings this transfer window, it seems as if Neil is keen to keep on improving Preston despite a run of three defeats in four games, and their key players will be integral in pushing them up the table once again.

Alan Browne has arguably been the standout performer for North End this season - the Irishman, who has made over 180 appearances for the club, has come into his own this season, and here, we take a look at his stats this season, determining whether the midfielder is destined for bigger and better things...

Browne has been a solid figure in midfield for North End over the years, but this season, he's really come out of his shell and has emerged a standout performer.

A mainstay in a three-man midfield, Browne is able to push on cause real threat in the opposition's half, typified by scoring eight goals and producing three assists in twenty-two appearances this term.

As well as making an average of 1.5 shots per game, the Irishman's range of passing abilities is what makes him as talented as he is - the midfielder has makes an average of 33.1 passes per game, with one of those being key passes, accruing a pass success rate of 70.1% this term.

At 23 years of age, Browne has plenty of time to grow even more as a player, and if he can keep on producing this form this season, who knows where he could be playing his football in years to come...