Jermaine Beckford may have scored a hat-trick in the victory that secured Preston’s promotion to the Championship but the striker has given a strong suggestion he will not be part of the squad next season.
The 31-year-old took the starring role as Simon Grayson’s team beat Swindon Town 4-0 in the League One play-off final on Sunday. The three goals he scored at Wembley took his total to 18 since he joined Preston on loan from Bolton in November.
Not surprisingly Grayson has made public his desire to keep Beckford, which he feels is feasible given the club’s return to the Championship after a four-year absence means they can “compete financially” for the player’s signature. He also feels Beckford is enjoying life at Deepdale and, with Bolton having made clear their desire not to see him return, this could be enough for him to sign a long-term deal at Preston.
When asked after the final if he is sees himself remaining at North End, Beckford was noticeably non-committal. “I will tell you what I can see. I can see myself enjoying the journey home and enjoying the next couple of days because I have not had the chance to embrace that,” he said. Beckford was then asked again if he planned on staying at Preston. “I have enjoyed myself thoroughly,” he said.
If those responses are a concern for Preston fans they can take encouragement from the warm words Beckford had for Grayson, whom he first worked under at Leeds and clearly holds in high regard. “I have said many times it is a great match-up,” the striker said. “It is something that works for the two of us. We understand each other and sometimes that is all you need.”
Having shone at Leeds, Beckford joined Everton in May 2010 but he struggled at Goodison Park. And after joining Leicester 15 months later, he fell out of the limelight. Beckford’s hope now is that having become only the third player to score a hat-trick in a play-off final, following on from Clive Mendonca of Charlton and Swansea City’s Scott Sinclair, a wider audience will be reminded of his talents.
“That is every guy’s dream in football – to play at the top level,” he said. “I have been blessed to have achieved that. If I could get back there it would be amazing. If not then I will ride it until I can and until I stop enjoying myself. But at the moment I am having a whale of a time.”
The only sour note for Beckford on Sunday – when Preston earned promotion via the play-offs at the 10th time of asking – came when he was informed of reports suggesting the match shirt he had given to a young fan on being substituted after 68 minutes had been spotted on the Gumtree website and was on sale for £1,500.
Television pictures showed a woman taking the shirt from the boy immediately after he was handed it by Beckford, with some suggestions she is the boy’s mother. However, it has also been reported the shirt for sale is a hoax.
Either way, Beckford hopes the story of the top he wore when scoring a promotion-winning hat-trick has a happy ending. “I did it [handing over the shirt] out of goodwill,” he said. “It was a nice gesture. I assumed it would go to a good home from someone who was able to enjoy the game. All I can hope is that the money [from it’s sale] goes to charity but the likelihood of that is slim. Hopefully it gets back to the kid.”
