'Bit of guidance' - Preston North End captain Ben Whiteman on his role in Alfie Devine transfer
The skipper has been speaking to local radio this week.
Preston North End captain Ben Whiteman has revealed he played a role in Alfie Devine’s return to the club.
Devine signed for PNE on a permanent basis earlier this month from Tottenham Hotspur for a club-record fee of around £6m after an impressive loan spell at Deepdale last season.
In an interview with BBC Radio Lancashire, the club captain revealed that he kept speaking to Devine over the off-season and gave him advice and support as the 21-year-old made a decision on his future, amid interest from Celtic, Burnley, Wolves and others.
“Really pleased (that he signed),” said Whiteman, “I sort of kept in contact with Alfie all through the summer, as a bit of a soundboard for him really because I have been in that situation, not to the extent financially that Alfie was.
“But, you have a good season, there are a few clubs after you and you need that little bit of guidance and that’s what I tried to reiterate all through the summer to Alfie, especially coming back here. He’s loved here by the players, fans, the staff and, for him, it was a no-brainer really.
“I know he had interest elsewhere but once the finer details were sorted, there was only one place he wanted to come and it was here.”
When discussing his role as PNE’s captain, Whiteman added: “It’s conversations that stay private over the summer, over the season. You have got to make hard decisions that will benefit the group, it’s not just what you see on a Saturday. It’s a full-time role, it’s the summer and I’ve had my time off but I’ve been wanting to help the football club in bringing Alfie in and I think I’ve done that as well.”
Whiteman has also spoken honestly about speculation surrounding the ownership of the club. The midfielder admitted that players have seen the rumours and discussions online around a potential takeover.
PNE confirmed in January that they had discussed the future of the club with US-Saudi businessman Amr Zedan, who has made no secret of his interest, having attended a home game last season as well as liking and sharing North End-related posts on his social media.
Whiteman told Radio Lancashire: “Listen, we’re not robots, you see it externally. Definitely on social media now, there’s an urge to want, want, want but that’s a question well above my pay grade. I’m the captain of Preston North End, my job is on the pitch and also off it, but I won’t be drawn into speculation about the ownership of the football club.”
On the expansion of the play-off places from four teams to six - which will see teams from third to eighth qualify - Whiteman says the club can ‘100%’ be one of the teams that finish in those spots.
“I think, if you go into the season going to the play-offs, you have got to aim high and we’re not daft, we need a few new faces to get us over the line but the ambition has got to be that.
“You want to play at the highest level that you can and a lot of us are getting a bit older now and you want to get to the Premier League, and want to get there as soon as possible. It’s something that the football club has got to strive towards.”
PNE have spent the week at a training camp in Spain as their preparations build for the 2026/27 season. Whiteman said the camp has been a huge benefit.
“I think it’s a massive part of pre-season,” said Whiteman, “you see the lads outside of football and their hobbies, you also learn as much as possible about the new lads, their private life and what they like to do. It’s a great time to be away, you are training 24/7, it’s been fantastic so far.”
Whiteman and Devine both featured for North End in a 1-0 pre-season friendly defeat against Cambridge United at the Pinatar Arena in Murcia, Spain on Friday morning.
New Cambridge signing, winger Isaac Heath, scored the only goal as the newly-promoted League One side held on, despite a flurry of chances for Paul Heckingbottom’s side in the second half. Patrick Bauer, another new signing for the U’s, started the game against his former club.
PNE fell behind on 29 minutes after an error by Daniel Iversen, but they had plenty of opportunities in the latter stages of the first half and into the second, with Whiteman and Milutin Osmajic going closest for North End.