Preston North End boss quizzed on future of starlet already linked with Brighton and Brentford
PNE youngster made his second first team appearance last weekend - against Aston Villa in the FA Cup
Preston North End boss Paul Heckingbottom sees potential in Theo Mawene but says it’s paramount the youngster gets the right programme.
Mawene, 17, is in the second year of his scholarship at PNE and is the younger brother of Noah - currently out on loan at Newport County. His father is former North End centre-back, Youl. To date, Mawene has made two first team appearances.
He came off the bench at home to Leicester City last April and was then introduced as a substitute, in last weekend’s FA Cup quarter-final defeat to Aston Villa. Mawene caught the eye in the FA Youth Cup earlier this season, when he scored a sublime goal in the 4-1 rout of Liverpool
Mawene is yet to sign professional terms with Preston and it remains to be seen whether he stays on board, beyond his two-year scholarship - which ends this summer. North End, as they have done with several players, could trigger another year in the Under-19s.
There has been transfer speculation around the attacking midfielder already, though. He was linked with Brighton and Brentford earlier this season, while lots of scouts are said to have watched him in action against Manchester United - in the next stage of the FA Youth Cup.
“Yeah, Theo’s one who was training with us early on,” said Heckingbottom last weekend, when asked about Mawene’s future. “His attributes are with the ball, definitely. He's got moments in him. Anyone who watched the Youth Cup game against Liverpool, saw that goal where he checks inside.
“He's got those moments, but when he was with us and our schedule was Saturday, Tuesday, Saturday, he's not getting and we're not giving him the programme he needs. So if we set up the team and prepare him for Villa today, I'm playing him on the opposite side and asking him to be Jacob Ramsey, for example.
“It's not what he needs. So yeah, we need to focus and make sure he gets the program - whether that's a loan, his individual training, on top of what he's doing with us. When you get good, young talent like that, it's someone's responsibility to get them in the team - not just have them fading away, being a number.”
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