Tom Clarke has been named in the PFA League I Team of the Year – but the award will mean so much more if he can skipper Preston North End to promotion.

The versatile 27-year-old was an unused substitute at Wembley when Huddersfield Town beat Sheffield United in the 2012 League I play-off final under current Preston boss Simon Grayson.

The Town academy product made 11 appearances before his move to Deepdale in 2013, and helped North End make last season’s play-offs.

This time they will go up automatically alongside Bristol City if, when they go to Colchester United on Sunday, they can match or better MK Dons’ result at home to Yeovil Town.

Preston remained firmly on course when they beat Swindon Town 3-0 on Saturday with the help of Joe Garner’s hat trick.

Garner, who had a loan spell at Town in 2010-11, also made the League I Team of the Year, alongside five players from Bristol City.

Clarke said: “When I joined Preston I wanted to be involved in every game I could be and be part of a promotion-winning team.

“I knew that with our manager we would be there or thereabouts. It was disappointing to miss out last season but we moved on from that and didn’t dwell on it.

“At the start of the season we sat down and talked about the top two being our aim. We are now down to one game and things are in our hands.

“Our concentration is just on ourselves, all we are looking at is winning.”

Grayson, whose Preston squad also includes ex-Town defender Calum Woods and loan striker Jermaine Beckford, is seeking a fourth promotion from League I after achieving the feat with Blackpool and Leeds United before Town.

Clarke added: “The gaffer is a really calm person – he’s been the same throughout the season.

“Him and his staff have created a calm environment which passes down to the players.

“You need to have a calm and level head and hopefully that will be the case with us on Sunday.”