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Michael Appleton arrived at Deepdale as North End's £500,000 record signing in the Summer of 1997, alongside two other Old Trafford recruits, Colin Murdock and Jonathan Macken. He made his debut as a substitute for Sean Gregan in a 2-1 home victory over Millwall.
Mickey is a fans' favourite, despite never quite hitting the form we all know he is capable of. He started the 1998/99 season on the right side of midfield, scoring North End's first goal of the season as we got off to a cracking start, beating York City 3-0.
With the return to form and fitness of Lee Cartwright, he lost his place in the side, his appearances limited to filling in for unavailable colleagues right across the midfield. It is for this reason many North End fans believe we have not seen the best of him. Maybe given a long run in the first team in his preferred position in the centre, he will prove a great asset to the club. As it stands, he has not really begun to repay the half a million pounds Gary Peters paid to secure him.
When he has played, he has shown a willingness to fight for the ball, particularly well displayed in the 4-1 win over Burnley in November 1998, and a definite eye for goal. When he replaced Sean Gregan in the centre of midfield at Oldham, he scored an excellent goal, surging past a few Latics defenders before burying the ball past Gary Kelly. This was his finest moment for North End. Hopefully there will be more to come.
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