Brown keen to keep Nicholson

Preston boss Phil Brown has revealed he has held talks with midfielder Barry Nicholson about extending his stay at Deepdale beyond the end of the season. While there is bound to a be a summer clear-out under new boss Brown, Nicholson, whose contract is set to expire in the summer, has caught the eye recently with three goals in three games. Brown told the Lancashire Evening Post: "I personally would like to keep Barry here. "I've had a conversation along those lines with him, but there's still a long way to go. "Recently I spoke with a couple of my good mates from the game who played with Barry in Scotland. They spoke highly of him as a professional, a person and certainly as a footballer. "We have started to see the best of Barry recently - for him to score three goals in three games in the situation we are in is testimony to him as a player."

Source: PA