Preston North End's contract faith raises question marks but makes it crunch time for trio
The PNE defender extended his contract at Deepdale until 2027 this week
One, two and then three, just like that for Preston North End’s defensive trio. They were all going to be out of contract this summer but we now know that Jordan Storey, Andrew Hughes and Liam Lindsay are part of Paul Heckingbottom’s plans beyond the current campaign.
Storey 2028, Hughes 2026 and Lindsay 2027, then. All three leaving would’ve been a shock; the majority appeared to be anticipating at least one exit. Therefore, deal one and deal two left the Scot’s future at PNE up for debate - but any doubts have been well and truly quashed.
The last few seasons has seen those players line up next to each other on countless occasions; most match days and nights in fact. Jack Whatmough has not started games regularly since signing last summer but Lewis Gibson’s arrival should provide real competition moving forward.
It’s worth noting that the No.6’s new deal was certainly welcomed by plenty out there. Some of the confusion, disappointment, frustration - call it what you want - though, perhaps stemmed from the manager’s contract comments in recent months.
Never just about Lindsay’s situation but certainly the club’s contract picture - and at times defenders specifically - Heckingbottom continually labelled it an ‘opportunity’ to change things this summer. That will have appealed and generated excitement in those who feel it’s required and crave something new.
Therefore the trio staying on board - potentially for a decade in Storey’s case, eight years with Hughes and six Lindsay - will have been a blow to those hopes. Ultimately, they are going nowhere and, like any player who pulls on the white shirt, they will continue to be backed.
The big question now is how central a role they will play as PNE look to progress under Heckingbottom. These haven’t been the men to take Preston beyond mid-table finishes to date; can they yet be? Of course, further competition could well arrive this summer, in addition to Gibson.
It’s now over to the Preston boss - who has had time to assess his squad and green light these decisions - to demand greater things from the trio and push them to new levels. Sections of the supporter base will need to be proven wrong in that regard.
But Heckingbottom, a fierce competitor, would not have kept them on board if viewed as a hinderance. And while he has spoken about lowering the age of the squad, this is a manager who clearly values experience, character and hard work. Storey, Lindsay and Hughes must’ve ticked those boxes - whether it be how they carry themselves at the training ground or act in the dressing room.
With the Scot, the question marks are fairly obvious. It’s been a struggle at times for Lindsay when moved away from the middle of Preston’s back three. His two red cards this season have come after being dragged out of there, higher up the pitch. And we still don’t really know, after four years, how he would fare in a back four.
If a back three is what Heckingbottom envisages playing predominantly, long-term, then the 29-year-old’s deal may not have required too much thought. He handled the immense physical threat of Carlton Morris with minimal fuss last weekend. The PNE chief was also impressed by how the back line, as a unit, protected Freddie Woodman’s goal earlier this season.
Nonetheless, there is still surprise in North End’s quick triple decision. It was only recently Heckingbottom spoke about needing to go the distance with contract calls; evidently he wasn’t speaking about his defenders. While recognising that the grass isn’t always greener they have all had more than a fair crack at it.
So it is certainly, while relatively risk-free, a big call to retain all three. More in the sense of it limiting PNE’s ability to change and evolve as opposed to the players themselves being huge problems. Because, over a 10 game sample, there would be more steady performances than not from Storey, Lindsay and Hughes.
It is the occasional howler that must be ironed out. As Heckingbottom has mentioned after games, PNE being better further up the pitch, and subsequently putting the defenders under less frequent pressure, will only help that.
Both Storey and Hughes have said recently that they are desperate to achieve something in a Preston shirt - and not simply be around for a long time. It would be worrying if Lindsay isn’t the same. Crunch time, then, over the next year or two - after a fairly predictable bid of faith from the football club.