Town manager Paul Lambert says new striker Will Keane has looked “very, very good” in training and hopes he can emulate his form during his spell with Preston in the first half of the 2015/16 season.
Although only netting twice in 14 starts and eight sub appearances prior to being recalled as cover by his then-parent club Manchester United, Keane caught the eye during his time at Deepdale.
"He’s looked very good, very, very good,” Lambert said when asked how Keane, who made his debut as a sub in the FA Cup at Accrington last Saturday, had been doing in training.
"I’m delighted with Will coming in. He looks proper. If Will Keane can do what I think he can do and what he did at Preston, then he’s definitely [a good signing].
"We’re going to be a lot more physical than what we were. We’ve brought lads in who know the league, know what it’s about and the league above and that’s to me what we needed.”
He says the squad he inherited had been a little lightweight: "Without a doubt. It’s not just lightweight, we’ve had lads that have played in the lower leagues as well, it’s a big, big ask.
"Some lads bypassed League One to play at this level, that’s like somebody from League One going into the Premier League. The jump is high.
"The lads have given us everything they’ve got. They need that little bit of help and my opinion is that we’ve needed a little bit more strength for the division, without a a doubt. We’re a really good football side, but we needed that strength to go with it.”