Jermaine Beckford says that his Wembley hat-trick which propelled Preston back to the Championship will live long in his memory but admitted his doesn’t yet know where his wife will let him display the Play-Off Final match ball!

Beckford’s treble rounded off a scintillating end to the season for the on-loan Bolton striker which has seen him score 11 goals in his last 11 games for the Lilywhites.

Despite his sparkling form though he says he never contemplated a Wembley hat-trick could be on the cards.

“It’s something I never imagined would happen if I’m honest but it just seemed to be written,” he told WembleyStadium.com.

“Just scoring at Wembley in general is an amazing achievement for myself and I’ve enjoyed every minute and every second that I’ve been able to play here.

“Fortunately for me a dream has come true where I’ve scored at Wembley but I never imagined I would get a hat-trick.”

Preston went into the play-offs on a low after defeat to Colchester United on the final day saw them pipped to automatic promotion by MK Dons.

Although Beckford would have rather had a place in the Championship secured a few weeks ago the man who won automatic promotion with Leeds in 2010 admits the elation of winning the play-offs probably exceeds that of finishing in the top two.

“It would have been nice to have sorted it out much sooner because we would have had a longer holiday,” he said with a laugh.

“But it was one of those things that we had to just get on with.

“I guess winning promotion through the play-offs is the best way to do it.”

Beckford’s hat-trick ensured him a place in the history books as he struck the first treble at Wembley since Scott Sinclair’s in 2011 and only the fifth ever in play-off final history.

Despite the magnitude of his achievement he will have to ask permission before he decides where to display his treasured match ball.

“I’m not entirely sure where I’m going to put the ball yet,” he said pondering for a moment.

“I will have a word with my wife!”