Chance of Ched Evans returning to the Preston North End team assessed by Paul Heckingbottom

Paul Heckingbottom hasn’t ruled out a first team return for Ched Evans but says the striker must put in a lot of work to get match fit again.

The 36-year-old hasn’t made an appearance for the club since signing a player-coach deal at the end of last season, partly due to a knee issue. His last outing was a brief cameo in PNE’s 3-0 defeat to West Bromwich Albion on the final day of the 2023/24 campaign.

However, Evans played 72 minutes and scored in the Premier League Cup draw with Blackburn Rovers this week. His return to the pitch poses the question as to whether the front man could yet add to his 92 Preston appearances this season.

"Yeah, we've had a good chat," Heckingbottom told BBC Lancashire on Thursday. "He wants to really focus on playing. He's felt like he's in limbo a little bit on playing and coaching. So yeah, the conversation with him is he wants to try and play and so he's training properly all the time now.

"We'll see what he does, because you never know... he may be needed. It's up to him and we've had the conversation. He wants to try and impress and get game time. I sort of inherited the situation where Ched was transitioning from player to coach.”

The Welshman made 19 appearances in all competitions last season after returning from a ‘serious medical condition’ in October 2023. Following his contract extension last year the forward took on a player-coach role for the current campaign. This, coupled with a knee issue, has left Evans needing to get match fit again. Heckingbottom says the onus is on Evans to put himself in contention.

"Ched feels like he can still contribute as a player,” said Heckingbottom. “That is fine, that’s what he has got to do. Obviously he's fallen way behind and not played for ages. He's not been training to the same level as the other boys. So yeah, he's going to try and do that.

“He is a player and he’s available but a lot of things have to happen. He's got to get fit enough to play. He's got to impress me, that he can do a job. He still thinks he can, so that's what he's got to show because he's not been doing anything that the other players have been doing."