Alan Browne: I'd give anything to play at the top level

The Preston man says the Premier League is where every player aspires to get to

ROOM TO IMPROVE: Alan Browne believes he has more to give at both club and international level.  Picture: Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile

They do say a change is as good as a rest. Alan Browne argued as much after Preston North End’s “embarrassing” 4-0 loss to Luton Town in the Championship which may have holed their outside shot at a play-off place below the waterline.

Better to pull the curtain across the mess at Kenilworth Road, let things sit for a few weeks before the next appointment away to Derby and, in the meantime, disperse. In Browne’s case, that meant a flight to Dublin to link up with the Republic of Ireland.

You wonder how much Stephen Kenny keeps track of these things.

Only four of his 25-man squad named for this week’s games against Belgium and Lithuania are ‘playing’ with Premier League clubs and that’s stretching it in the cases of Caoimhín Kelleher and Shane Duffy.

"For me personally it's an ambition of mine, to one day get there,” said Browne. “I'd like to do that with my current club, Preston. If it's elsewhere then so be it. I'd give anything to play at the top level, that's where every player aspires to be.

“I haven't done it yet. I'm 26, pushing 27 and there's not a lot of time left. It's not something I have focused too much on, just stay in the moment, play my current football, which is in the Championship, do my best for my club and see where that progresses.” 

Browne’s frustrations after that recent defeat were plainly evident when he spoke to the media, his take being that if Luton could push up to third in the table and threaten a place in the top tier then there was no reason why Preston couldn’t do likewise.

There have been other frustrations besides.

He is 26 now and 17 caps deep into a senior international career with the Republic but he has been more in than out of Stephen Kenny’s side of late thanks to a combination of Covid, injuries, and the manager’s shifting preferences.

There has just been one start in the last 10 games, last September’s Dublin draw with Serbia, and three late appearances off the bench against Luxembourg, Azerbaijan, and Qatar. The earliest of those cameos came after 82 minutes.

His influence at Preston doesn’t seem to have waned with half-a-dozen assists and an almost constant presence in the midfield at Deepdale under the latest manager Ryan Lowe but there is a sense within him that he could be doing more for club and country.

“Probably disappointing overall at club and international level, but I think they go hand in hand. I've probably been more unfortunate at international level. I mentioned before about Covid and injuries and stuff like that and I probably fell out of favour.

“But at club level I still feel like I could do a bit more. We've had a new gaffer over the last few months which has improved things and my form has probably picked up as well. I've a lot more to give, especially at this level. Hopefully, we can see that over the next couple of months.”