It isn't often you hear genuine self-criticism from footballers but Joel Byrom has pulled no punches on his time at Preston North End.

The midfielder arrived from Stevenage in the summer of 2012 under Graham Westley, at the same time as striker Chris Beardsley.

Byrom was part of a summer transfer spree that saw 18 players come through the doors at Deepdale with Westley completely overhauling the squad.

He started well enough, scoring on his third appearance and netting again four days later at Walsall in a 1-3 loss.

Things never really took off from there though and he eventually left the club for good in August 2014, signing for Northampton Town after making 40 appearances, scoring five times.

He enjoyed a much better time at Sixfields and Byrom has been reflecting on his playing days at PNE on Town's fan podcast 'It's All Cobblers To Me'.

"I had two years at Preston where I had probably the worst two years of my career," admitted Byrom. "When I signed for Preston it was somewhere back home for the first time.

"I got a chance to set up some roots up here and get myself sorted, but I was awful, and the fans let me know that I was awful.

"I was quite happy when I left in the end and I think they were happy that I left too - it was a bit of everything, my confidence was low at the time and the team wasn't really getting results. "

Byrom arrived along with Stevenage players Beardsley, John Mousinho and Scott Laird, the most successful of the quartet by far, who went on to gain promotion to the Championship and score against Manchester United.

Westley was sacked in February 2013 and Byrom felt the challenge was ultimately too big for him and some of the other players.

"Graham Westley went in and the fans weren't having him from minute one, but I look like one of his boys with him signing me from Stevenage.

"I started on the back foot, he signed three or four of us from Stevenage and none of us really had an unbelievable time there - one of us did alright and the rest of us really struggled.

"We were fighting a losing battle as soon as we went in there to be honest.

"To go from playing in the conference, then to get up to League One and go to a massive club like Preston I couldn't believe it.

"Maybe I was a bit in awe of the club when I went there and that maybe didn't help me play as well as I could, maybe I was wondering whether I should've been there."

Byrom, 33, is now back at Stevenage and had made seven appearances this season prior to the suspension of football in England.