Callum Lang runs riot on Preston North End bow following record-breaking move from Portsmouth
It’s an impressive first outing for his new Championship employers for Callum Lang - with a league bow now in the offing after Fratton depature.
Callum Lang staked his claim for Championship action with a first-half hat-trick on his maiden Preston North End outing.
The man who ended his two-year stay at Fratton Park with a record-breaking deadline day move to Deepdale, fired in three goals in 18 minutes for his new side yesterday.
3 goals in 18 minutes for Callum Lang after Preston switch
It was an impressive signal of intent from the Scouser, who’s been recovering from a hamstring injury as he completed a return to the north west in a transfer saga which went to the wire last week.
Lang’s triple salvo arrived in Central League action, as Preston cruised to a 5-1 success over Stockport in an under-21 outing at their Euxton training base.
The Scouser got the second goal of the game with a tap-in from fellow new boy Andrew Moran’s cross, after Moran had opened the scoring.
Lang then made it 3-0 when he headed home Troy Tarry’s cross, before the League One champion slotted home his third from the penalty spot three minutes before the break.
The 27-year-old hasn’t featured in the Championship since Boxing Day, with the former Wigan man missing Saturday’s clash between past and present employers at Deepdale.
Preston boss Paul Heckingbottom shot down talk that absence was anything to do with an agreement between the two clubs, as Lang’s three-and-a-half year deal was confirmed after Monday’s transfer deadline passed at 7pm.
Lang now in line for Championship bow against Watford
‘He missed a lot of days because he thought the deal was going through. His first real day of training with us was Thursday. It's just slightly too soon, but he's fine and we'll have him back next week.’
Lang will now be in line for his first Championship minutes for Preston this weekend, as they entertain Watford sitting outside of the play-off positions on goal difference.
When completing his frantic move to Preston last week, Lang expressed his appreciation to Pompey while also hailing the move as the ‘perfect’ one for him.
He told Preston’s official site: 'I’m really happy to be here. It’s been a late one, quite last-minute, but I'm really excited to get going. I think this was a good move for me. I'm really thankful for my time at Portsmouth, but I feel like this next step was the perfect one for me.
'I'm excited about what the club's trying to do here, and I think I can really help on the pitch also. I know what I can do at this level, and I'm really excited to do so and show the fans what I can bring as a player.'