Preston boss Ryan Lowe challenges striker Emil Riis to kick on and be a 'top player'

Riis scored the Lilywhites’ 89th minute equaliser against Sheffield United, that the Dane’s 13th goal of the season.

PNE manager Lowe wants Riis to push on towards the 20-goal mark and he will get all the coaching needs to help him do that.

Lowe said: “Emil is only 23, he’s still relatively young.

“He is going to be coached in the right way by myself and my coaching staff.

“I’m an ex-striker and Emil will be coached to make good runs, to get hold of the ball.

“It is not his forte to get hold of the ball, his forte is running in behind and getting on the end of things.

“But we can tidy him up in certain elements.

“He does a lot of running in games and that is a given from a striker, running 9-10km a game

“Emil can become what he wants to be. I think that’s 13 goals in all competitions and now he has to kick on with another five, six, seven to be a top player.

“If he keeps listening and working as hard as he possibly can, I’m sure he can get there.”

Riis had the company of Ched Evans for the last 25 minutes on Tuesday night, Evans used as PNE’s final sub.

It was the Welshman who provided the pinpoint cross for Riis to score the equaliser.

Evans had played well in last Saturday’s draw against Birmingham but Scott Sinclair got the nod to start in midweek.

As it was, Sinclair had to be subbed late in the first half after Andrew Hughes was sent-off for the foul which led to the penalty for United’s second goal.

Lowe noted that Evans was ‘battered and bruised’ in the Birmingham game which could well have explained him starting on the bench when the Blades visited.

“Ched came on and made a big impact,” said Lowe.

“I was talking with Gally about him and he was saying strikers will put the best crosses in because they know where they want the ball if they are in the middle.

“Ched was battered and bruised from Saturday and when he came off the bench he hustled and bustled.”

Meanwhile, PNE defender Jordan Storey yesterday joined Sheffield Wednesday on loan for the remainder of the season.

After playing 35 successive games between February and October, Storey had dropped out of favour.

He hadn’t got any game time under Lowe, the one occasion he’d made the matchday squad being in the FA Cup tie at Cardiff.

Storey’s temporary exit to Hillsborough will create some space on the PNE wage bill, raising the possibility of some incoming business.

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