Paul Heckingbottom says there's 'more to come' from Preston North End man he was excited to work with
PNE boss shares his thoughts on the captain
Preston North End manager Paul Heckingbottom believes the best of Ben Whiteman is to come.
The 28-year-old is the captain of PNE, having signed from Doncaster Rovers back in January 2021. He has scored 11 goals in 148 appearances for the Lilywhites and was made skipper this summer, after Alan Browne moved to Sunderland.
Whiteman - who signed a long-term contract extension back in January - has started all six Championship matches this campaign. Heckingbottom, at his unveiling in August, said he already knew lots about North End’s players. Whiteman was evidently one of those, and he’s now hoping to take his game to the next level.
“Yeah, Ben has been good,” said Heckingbottom. “Ledo has captained two of the games as well, so he has been great in terms of personality. But yeah, Ben is someone I was looking forward to working with before I came. I still think there is more to come from him and he knows that. We are looking forward to pushing him to produce that.”
The PNE boss kept his cards relatively close to his chest, with regards to the specific areas Whiteman can strive to be better in. But, he was happy to make a light-hearted joke when the 28-year-old’s goal scoring was raised. Whiteman, albeit in a lower division, netted 25 goals for Doncaster - while assisting a further 15 across 159 games. He’s racked up 21 goal contributions in 148 PNE appearances, with his role having predominantly been to sit in front of the defence.
“Yeah, I think I said to him that when he played on loan at Mansfield, it was the last time I saw him in the opposition’s box,” said Heckingbottom. “It is goal scoring, but it’s a different role. He knows what I want from him; it’s not something I’ll say to you guys. But, yeah, he’s got good strengths and really good qualities. As with every player, we want to see more of it.”