'I've challenged him' - Paul Heckingbottom details chats with Preston North End star with Hull City example

Preston North End manager Paul Heckingbottom continues to push Mads Frokjaer to make greater final third contributions.

The Dane joined the Lilywhites in the summer of 2023 for a reported £1.2million fee, from Danish club Odense BK. He has racked up 84 appearances, scoring six goals and providing 13 assists. Of those goal contributions, 11 of them (3G 9A) came last season.

This campaign he netted in the Carabao Cup against Sunderland, when Mike Marsh was interim boss. His league strikes have come at Plymouth Argyle and Middlesbrough - two excellent finishes. Heckingbottom felt Frokjaer grew into Tuesday’s draw with Cardiff City but still wants the midfielder to go to new heights.

“Yeah, definitely, definitely,” said Heckingbottom, on the No.10’s midweek showing. “I've spoken with Mads a lot... I like him, like what he does, like how he is. But I've challenged him - he needs more goals and assists and I think he can do that by keeping the ball simple, and making sure he's in the box himself more.

“I think it's just in him and he does force that pass a lot, when one of my favourite goals this season was Hull at home where we played down the right into Sam (Greenwood) at 10, he comes across, Mads is the opposite 10 and he just plays a simple ball wide to Kaine (Kesler-Hayden).

“Kaine then squares it and Pottsy puts it in. I want him to think about getting the pass before the assist a lot more, you know. It can't always be Mads looking for the assist, because we give the ball away too often.”

“It’s just a mindset...”

On the topic of PNE’s passing play, it was notable how frequently the Lilywhites looked to pass forward in Tuesday’s match. That led to the ball being intercepted in some poor positions but Heckingbottom had asked for his team to show greater intent in possession.

He said: “Yeah, we've got to look forward. The message hasn't changed. I showed them clips of the Luton game when we'd only had two days with them, and the response for that game. Then I showed them the game against Stoke, so yeah.

“There are other factors, like I said about the scheduling and things like that, but we try and change that with the changes that we've made in the last few games, to keep the energy, the freshness.

“It's just a mindset and an intent to go and play and whenever we play like that, I'll be happy with them. No problem, I'll defend them if they get on the ball and be brave. It's when we don't do that that we have problems.”

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