Preston North End have been enjoying a solid season so far with Alex Neil’s side sitting inside the Championship play-off places as they look to mount a push for promotion this term.

The Lilywhites have had some standout performers from a host of their most important first team players, with the likes of Declan Rudd, Ben Davies, Patrick Bauer impressing at the back for Neil’s side, while the likes of Tom Barkhuizen, Daniel Johnson, Ben Pearson and Alan Browne have all been consistent performers throughout the campaign.

Neil’s side have managed to find an effective balance between keeping themselves difficult to break down, while also having the ability to create chances and control matches in possession, which has made them a real tough proposition this term.

Preston will be hopeful that if they can continue to get the same consistent levels of performances out of their most important players during the rest of the season, they will be able to successfully manage to finish inside the Championship’s top six.

Here then, we take a look at the SEVEN best passers at Preston this term according to Whoscored

Preston’s best rated passer according to Whoscored so far this season has been Daniel Johnson, who has managed to prove key to helping Neil’s side maintain their passing rhythm and create chances in the final third, with the attacking midfielder averaging 33.4 passes per game in the Championship with an accuracy of 80.4%.

Johnson has also averaged 1.3 key passes per ninety minutes so far this campaign for the Lilywhites, and he has managed to claim five assists, which makes him one of Preston’s most integral players and suggests that he could be key to helping the club go onto finish inside the top six.

The Lilywhites’ second best passer so far this campaign according to Whoscored has been Darnell Fisher, with the defender having averaged 33 passes per game in his 23 appearances in the league with an accuracy of 66% - and that has made him crucial to helping Neil’s side build the play through the thirds.

The right-back has also managed to provide a real end product with his passing in the final third, with Fisher averaging 0.7 key passes and 1 cross per game, which has seen him register four assists so far this campaign – and that suggests that he could be another player who will be key to helping Preston retain their place in the play-offs.

The third best passer at Preston so far this term according to Whoscored has been Tom Barkhuizen, with the forward having managed to average 17.1 passes per game at an average of 69.3% passing accuracy, which is impressive considering he has been playing both upfront and out wide for the Lilywhites so far.

Barkhuizen has also managed to average 0.8 key passes per game so far in the Championship, which has seen the forward produce four assists and that means that he is one if the Lilywhites’ most influential players in the attacking third, in terms of helping Neil’s side to create chances and make dangerous combinations in and around the opposing half.

The fourth best Preston passer so far this campaign according to Whoscored is Alan Browne, with the midfielder having averaged 31.1 passes per game so far in the Championship, and he has managed to average a 69.1% passing accuracy which has seen him play a key role in helping Neil’s side control possession in midfield.

Browne has also averaged 0.6 key passes per game for Preston, while also creating two assists, which means that he is able to help create chances in the opposing half despite having been operating a little deeper at the base of midfield throughout most of the campaign so far.

Preston’s fifth best passer so far this campaign has been Paul Gallagher, who as averaged 40.9 passes per match for the Lilywhites with an average of a 76.6% passing accuracy, which means that the experienced midfielder continues to be a key part of the Lilywhites’ midfield when he has featured for Neil’s side.

Gallagher has also averaged 1.4 key passes per game and created two assists so far this campaign, which shows that the midfielder is able to continue to pose a real threat in the final third – and that means that he could prove to be a crucial option for Neil’s side to call upon during the rest of the season.

Another one of Preston’s forward players in this list is Sean Maguire, who has been Preston’s sixth best passer so far this term according to Whoscored, with the forward having averaged 20.2 passes per game at an average accuracy of 73.5% which is a decent amount considering that most of those passes have come deep inside the opponents half in the final third.

Maguire has also managed to average 1 key pass per game and has managed to register two assists for the Lilywhites, which shows the forward is able to link-up with Preston’s other attacking players as well as providing a goal scoring threat when he features.

Preston’s seventh best passer so far this season in the Championship has been Ben Davies, with the defender managing to average 43.8 passes per game with an accuracy of 75.6%, which suggests that he is key to helping Neil’s side retain possession under pressure and help to build the play from the back.

Davies has also averaged 5 long balls per game, and even managed to provide one assist so far this term, which is why the defender has emerged as one of Preston’s most important players given he has the ability to provide real defensive solidity and also contribute when Neil’s side are in possession.