Paul Heckingbottom intrigued by Preston North End recruits as ex-Barnsley men reunite

Paul Heckingbottom knows a lot about Preston North End’s players, but there is a group he’s looking forward to learning all about.

The Lilywhites have dipped into the overseas market over the last 12 months, signings Mads Frokjaer and Milutin Osmajic last summer - before swoops for Stefan Thordarson and Jeppe Okkels this summer. Heckingbottom has an in-depth knowledge of the EFL and believes he’ll know more about many squad members than they think.

Frokjaer and Osmajic were both regulars for Preston last season and the 47-year-old will have seen them in action. But, Iceland international Thordarson and latest signing Okkels - who arrived from FC Utrecht last Tuesday - are two he’s particularly excited to start working with. Both are fit and available for this weekend’s clash against Luton Town.

“Yeah, yeah, the new signings are the ones we have seen the least of,” Heckingbottom told the Lancashire Post at his unveiling on Tuesday. “The ones who’ve been regularly playing in the Championship, we’ve seen week-in-week-out and we know all about them as players - just not people. There are lots who we want to find out a lot about.

“They are in the same boat. They will be trying to figure us out. We think we are pretty straightforward, but maybe not for them! We are looking forward to it. Our job is to make it as clear as possible to the players and give them the opportunities, but really challenge them and make sure that they are supported enough to go out and perform.”

Two players the new PNE boss does know all about are Brad Potts and Liam Lindsay, having signed the pair during his tenure as Barnsley manager - back in the summer of 2017. Both have gone on to establish themselves at the level and become regular starters for PNE. Heckingbottom is happy to be reunited with the pair, and proud of their careers to date.

“Yeah, they’ve done well,” said Heckingbottom. “At that time, at that particular club, my role was getting players from the lower leagues and developing players. We could do that, because we had a real clear identity of how we wanted to play. So, we could find, not the most expensive ones, but the right ones for us.

“I am proud of those players we found, who went on to make Barnsley a lot of money. They have all gone on and you feel a sense of responsibility when you work with players. You always follow how they are getting on and how they are doing. It is nice to walk into a new building and have some players who you’ve worked with in the past.”