Manchester United goalkeeper Sam Johnstone is keen to stay at his loan club, Preston North End, until the end of the season.
The 22-year-old, who has a contract at Manchester United until 2017, hasn’t been able to show the manager what he could bring to the team as he is still to make his competitive United debut.
The goalkeeper, who was born in Preston, played his first game of this current loan spell on Saturday and he helped his side gain three points in a 2-1 win against Rotherham.
Johnstone isn’t unfamiliar with the Preston side as he helped them gain promotion to the Sky Bet Championship last season during a four-month loan spell and he is hoping to make this current spell that length once again.
Johnstone has already spent time at Preston
“Initially, I’m only here for a month so hopefully we can win all those games," said Johnstone, who is "hoping the loan gets extended" because he "want[s] to be here until the end of the season."
“I want to play football, I’m 22-years-old. Last year, I had the first half of the season at Doncaster and the second half at Preston.
“Playing the whole season kicks you on, makes you grow up and learn more about the game," he told the Lancashire Evening Post.
“I pushed to come back," Johnstone said. Simon Grayson, Preston manager, wanted Johnstone back "but it came around quite late. I spoke to the Manchester United manager on Tuesday and then it was more or less sorted on Thursday."
Johnstone continued, “Coming back feels good. Nothing has changed, just a few new faces. I trained with the lads on Thursday and Friday and it feels like I haven’t been away.”
Johnstone was up for playing at the start of this season in Louis van Gaal’s United side but when the news broke that David De Gea was, in fact, staying at the club, the opportunity soon depleted. Also, Sergio Romero has secured the spot as second goalkeeper at United so Johnstone’s chances of game time will be slim.
With Johnstone not getting any chances to show his skills in Manchester, his agent, Jordan Segal accused the club back in September, of holding the 2011 Youth Cup winner back in his development and encourages his player to go out on loan.