Preston North End midfielder Paul Gallagher has revealed he was playing with an Achilles problem, even before his recent injury-enforced absence from the side.

Gallagher, who has worn the armband for Preston when fit this season with club captain Tom Clarke also sidelined, made a goalscoring return to action in North End's 2-1 win over Luton Town on Saturday, having missed his sides last three games through injury.

Now it seems that problem is one that had arisen even before that, as when speaking about his recent spell on the sidelines, Gallagher told the Lancashire Evening Post: “I’ve had an issue with my Achilles for the last month and a bit.

“I was managing it to get through games but then it got to the point where it was a bit too sore to carry on and I had to rest it. I’m sometimes the type not to say anything, who just wants to keep on playing.

“But then you get to the stage where I’m hampering myself and more importantly the team because I’m not able to play at full tilt."

Discussing how he was able to play through the problem against Luton, and whether he thinks it could impact him going forward, Gallagher continued: “I had an injection in the Achilles to settle it down and I’ve done a lot of work in the gym to try and help the recovery.

“It’s settled down but it’s still there a bit. I’m going to manage it, decide when I can train and can’t train. In training, I like to be the first out there and the last in – I still want to learn.

“Sometimes though, you have to think that it is not the best thing to train that day and to go in the gym instead."

That is not something that looks as though it will create too many issues with the likes of Preston manager Alex Neil, as Gallagher went onto claim: “I’ve got that relationship with the manager and staff where if I want a day in the gym to recover, they understand.”

The Verdict

This is impressive from Gallagher.

It seems that while he is determined to play as much as he can, he is still willing to put the interests of his side ahead of his own, as evidenced by his readiness to step back when he felt necessary.

At 35-years-old, Gallagher is entering the final stages of his career, so the fact he is willing to take a step back from that playing time is admirable, and it could help him to prolong his career in the long run.

Indeed, when you look at his contributions for Preston so far this season, you imagine it will be a big boost for the club if he is able to do that.