Preston North End Ex-Files - Tyrone Mears
Keeping with a defensive theme following my article on Kelvin Wilson, I thought I would take a look at full back, Tyrone Mears. "Tye" broke into the Preston first team in the 2005/2006 season and was keeping the right back place ahead of Preston legend Graham Alexander. With North Ends failure to reach the big time and Mears' great run of form, Alan Pardew deemed him as an ideal signing and took him to the Boleyn Ground for a fee of £1m.
Mears found it difficult to settle in London and so only managed to make 6 appearances for the Hammers before being reacquainted with his former Preston boss by joining Derby County, initially on loan, in January 2007 before making his move a permanent one in the Summer. Mears has enjoyed a run in Derby's team and became first choice at right full back and was an integral part of Billy Davies' playoff winning team making 17 appearances in all competitions and getting on the score sheet once in the process.
A determined Mears was given a second crack of the whip at Premiership football made 19 appearances for the Rams this season until he suffered another injury setback. Mears was plighted with injuries during his Preston career and would have hoped he had seen the back of lengthy spells on the sidelines. Sadly for him this wasn't to be and is expected to be out for the rest of the season after the reoccurrence of a shin problem. Paul Jewell described it as a 'nasty injury' and doesn't expect to have Tye available for selection this season but if he does 'it will only be right at the end'.
It appears that it will be Championship football for Mears next season and a possible trip back to Deepdale should Preston avoid the drop.