Aiden McGeady is inspiring a play-off push for Preston North End.
The midfielder is on a season long loan from Everton and is getting his career back on track after a miserable time at Goodison Park.
Three goals in his last four matches have taken Preston to six points off a play-off spot and earned the praise of manager Simon Grayson.
On Saturday Preston were trailing 1-0 to QPR before McGeady curled in the equaliser with his boss delighted with the influence McGeady had on his side’s win.
“When we signed Aiden we mentioned that he was one of those types of players that we were missing,” the Preston boss said. “Our players had been very good and hard-working, but we wanted someone with that x-factor and players like that are few and far between.
“He has shown his great quality again today, as he did two weeks ago against Brentford, with his two goals and we are delighted to have him.
“On another day he could have had a few more goals, given the opportunities that he had and the team had, but it was great character and spirit from the team to come from behind again and that’s a good trait to have, because it shows they are not prepared to accept that they are going to draw or lose a game, they want to go and win as many games as possible and they have won another today.”
On Saturday Preston will have their play-off credentials tested away to Fulham who are in seventh place in the table, one point ahead of Grayson’s side.
McGeady is under contract with Everton until the summer of 2019 after joining from Spartak Moscow during the January 2014 transfer window.
With Ronald Koeman spending big money across the squad it seems unlikely that there will be a successful return to Everton.