Preston are one of the form teams in the country right now, with Alex Neil's men firmly in the hunt for a top six finish.

Whilst it's been a superb collective effort, with the staff and players deserving plenty of credit, there's one man who has made a real difference.

Sean Maguire returned from a nine-game lay-off against Swansea way back on 12 January and they are unbeaten since.

In fact, he started the 4-1 win at QPR a week later which was one of eight wins and three draws since he's started in that run.

So, he is clearly a vital player for North End and it probably isn't reflected in the numbers shown on our graphic.

A return of three goals and three assists this season isn't fantastic by any means for a striker who has featured in 18 appearances.

However, that overlooks his overall contribution and it should also be noted that three of Maguire's goals have come in his last seven games, so he is starting to find form at the right time.

Yet, even without the goals, he is still a vital player, with his decent pass success rate and 1.2 key passes per game highlighting how he is capable of linking the play for North End in the final third.

With eight games to go the Lancashire outfit have given themselves a real chance of pushing on and fighting for promotion and Maguire is going to be pivotal to that.

He will set the tone up top with his work-rate and movement and if he can keep up this promising recent streak in front of goal then there's no reason why North End can't surprise a few come May.