Following an excellent first season back in the Championship, Preston North End have performed even better in their second campaign as they currently occupy a position just five points outside of the play-offs.

The work done at Deepdale has gone highly under the radar in the past few years.

The work that Simon Grayson has done in Lancashire is remarkable when you take into account the fact that Preston have one of the smallest budgets in the division.

But this hasn't stopped the Whites in their aim to succeed, as they approach the last eight games of the season knowing that a place in the top six is still on the cards.

Along the way there have been some standout performers, some of whom were expected to perform at the level shown. But certain members of the squad have taken many people by surprise this season and without them, it could have been a totally different story.

So with this in mind, FLW writer Tom Rawcliffe will identify TWO players who have massively exceeded expectation this season...

 

Ben Pearson

Former Manchester United midfielder Ben Pearson joined the Whites at the beginning of 2016 and made a pretty average start to life at Deepdale.

The midfield engine has taken his performances to a whole new level this season, and there would be very few fans who wouldn't put him forward as a contender for Player of the Season.

His playing style is very much to get on the nerves of his marker, and he is certainly not one to back out of a 50/50 which maybe shows in his disciplinary record.

It seems that every week now Simon Grayson can rely on the 22-year-old to perform at a consistently high level, and he is certainly one of the most underrated players in the league.

Daryl Horgan

If you had asked the city of Preston just a matter of months ago who Daryl Horgan was, your most popular response would probably be 'who?'.

But the Irish winger has let everybody know who he is and what he is about since his move from Irish champions Dundalk.

The quick, agile, Damien Duff lookalike quickly established himself in the North End setup and you'll now find him in the starting XI, causing havoc for the opposition's defence.

The 24-year-old's two goals and three assists in his 12 games for the Whites don't do his performances justice because what you don't see is his mazy runs, excellent pace and never say die attitude which the fans have taken to their hearts.

Preston fans... Just how impressed have you been with both of these players? Were you expecting to see the quality that they've produced this season? Let us know what you have to say in the comments below!