Striker Chris Brown is hoping history repeats itself when Preston take on one of his former clubs tomorrow.

The 6ft centre-forward never managed to score a goal at Carrow Road during his 12 months with the Canaries, but took less than two minutes to find the net when he returned with North End in November 2008 for a Championship fixture that finished 2-2.

“It was a great feeling the last time I went back two seasons ago. I scored with two minutes on the clock,” he said.

“They were struggling then, now they’re absolutely flying, and it will be a really tough game.

He added: “There’s only Adam Drury left from my time there, while the physio from Glenn Roeder’s time has since come back.”

Preston made the Championship play-offs in that 2008-09 season, when City were relegated, but the tables have very much been turned since then and Phil Brown’s team are in bottom spot as they face fifth-placed Norwich.

Striker Brown, who scored once in 24 outings for the Canaries, has yet to score this season. But he is hoping to force his way back into the side tomorrow as he continues his recovery from a knee operation. He scored twice for the reserves against Wrexham on Wednesday.

He said: “I’m ready to play, it’s not too early.

“When you are sitting in the treatment room every day you will do anything to play.

“I played in the reserves on Wednesday against Wrexham and scored two goals. It was nice to get back and I felt good.”

The 26-year-old Brown and his team-mates need to perform a minor miracle to escape the drop into League One.

“This hasn’t been a great season so I’ve got to think positive for the last bit of the campaign,” he said.

“I want to finish strongly and get as many games as I can in the team.

“The knee injury I’ve had was one I actually first felt in April last year.

“I played with it for six months but the Wigan game in the Carling Cup was the one where I felt I couldn’t play on any longer. My knee just didn’t feel right twisting and turning, and it was a case of getting it operated on. It’s the same knee I had a cruciate ligament operation done on when I was 17. I think the cartilage tear I had repaired in September was connected with that. Basically, nine years of playing caught up with the knee, and I needed the operation to clear it up.”

Brown attempted a comeback when he played three games in eight days in January.

“When I first came back into the team at the start of January, I didn’t quite feel right still,” he said.

“I had only five days training before we played Derby on New Year’s Day.

“But I’ve since done six weeks of strength work and the knee feels fine.”