Football
ESPN staff 9y

Jermaine Beckford delight as playoff final hat trick wins Preston promotion

Jermaine Beckford admitted he never expected to hit a hat trick at Wembley as he led Preston to a 4-0 League One playoff final victory on Sunday.

Beckford, 31, had contemplated retiring from the game due to an ear infection that kept him bed-ridden for five weeks earlier this season, but he netted three times at Wembley to send Preston up.

Promotion ends the Lilywhites' playoff hoodoo at the 10th attempt, and Beckford declared his delight at being able to contribute to guiding his side back into the Championship.

Asked when he had dreamed of a 4-0 victory by Sky, the forward replied: "No, I dreamed 3-0! Only kidding -- we knew it was going to be a very difficult game and it just goes to show the character and application that we've got in the team and with the staff.

"I think we did a fantastic job of exploiting the spaces and we came out on top."

When questioned whether he could have predicted such a return after his illness, he said: "No I didn't -- I've said in the past that I'll take every day as it comes, and fortunately for me it was our day. I'm very, very happy."

Beckford attributed much of his success to Preston manager Simon Grayson, saying: "He made me a happy person. I owe him a lot. We just seem to have a fantastic relationship and it just seems to work."

When asked whether he was staying at the club, he replied: "We'll see."

Grayson was delighted as Beckford led Preston back into the Championship, saying of the striker: "He knows how we work, I know how he works -- he's a goal scorer and he's enjoying his football.

"When somebody's enjoying their football you can get the best of them. We've got a special relationship and at the moment he's producing the goods."

The coach admitted it was a tense route to promotion via the playoffs after the club threw away the chance of automatic promotion, saying: "I'd like to be on a beach by now but it's all part and parcel of football and this is one of the best ways to get promoted."

And of ending Preston's poor run in the playoffs, he added: "Days like today are fantastic... we always said that record is there to be broken, they never frightened me. We've got rid of the hoodoo and we're on our way to the Championship."

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