PNE captain spoke to the Lancashire Post ahead of Saturday's trip to Plymouth Argyle

The impression made on players by Preston North End boss Paul Heckingbottom has been evident in recent weeks - and captain Ben Whiteman is no different.

North End’s number four has been a regular starter under the 47-year-old and he returned to the side on Tuesday night, after his one-match suspension. Preston’s manager has three wins, four draws and two defeats to his name so far - but the team’s displays, in the main, have been engaging and encouraging. Whiteman, a keen student of the game, has certainly enjoyed the boss’ tenure to date.

“Yeah, he’s been excellent,” said Whiteman. “Really, really easy to work with. I think tactically, he is right up there in terms of what he wants. And, he will let you know if you are not doing it as well - which is excellent. He does it in the right way as well, so he has been fantastic since he’s come through the door and, bar the Millwall game, I think you can see the strides we are making.

“It was a blip (at The Den). If you look at the two games before that, against Fulham and Blackburn, we were good again. It was just one of them where you are going to get those off days and you need to limit those as much as possible. But then again, when we looked at the game back, he sort of dissected the game really well and told us where we went wrong. And, obviously it hasn’t happened again yet, so I think it’s been positive.”

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After the share of the spoils with Norwich City in midweek, Heckingbottom explained post-match that his pre-match preparation is all around how PNE can remain aggressive - regardless of who the opponent is. Off the ball, Preston’s progress and ambition has been clear to see. It’s a style Whiteman believes suits North End down to the ground and one that’s easy to get on board with, as a player.

“Yeah, I think it’s what we are as a club as well,” said Whiteman. “Honest and hard working. The fans are the same, where you want to see your team turn up on the pitch and it starts by winning your duels - and showing that aggression as well. And yeah, everything else is a bonus. As we mentioned before, it is going to be a transitional period in terms of how we’re going to try and dominate with the ball now. I think we are great off the ball, but can we make that extra stride now and be a little bit better on it?”

When asked about his captain earlier this season, Heckingbottom admitted Whiteman had been a player he was looking forward to working with - as well as someone he felt had more to give. The relationship and communication has so far been constructive for the 28-year-old.

“Yeah, massively,” said Whiteman. “On a sort of one-to-one basis, the manager has been excellent - showing debriefs and clips where you can improve, and also what you’ve done well. So yeah, I think all the lads are really buying into what he wants.”

It is also his first full season as skipper at Deepdale and at times that can lead to added attention and noise, externally. But, Whiteman has embraced the responsibility and it’s something he feels fairly comfortable with.

“I wouldn’t say I feel any different (as captain) to be honest with you!” said the No.4 “Obviously, I want to impress as much as I can. I think it starts with the lads and the manager. The fans can obviously say what they want, it is up to them and they have got their own opinions. The big ones at this moment in time are the lads and the manager, but the fans have obviously got a massive part to play. It is a long trip this weekend, which we are really thankful for. Hopefully we can put on a good performance for them.”