'It is literally' - Paul Heckingbottom ready for 'flat out' Preston North End start as vital early aim set out

One word we’ve heard a lot from new Preston North End manager Paul Heckingbottom is ‘mentality’.

The next chapter at Deepdale kicks off this Saturday, at home to Luton Town, with Heckingbottom’s appointment having been confirmed on Tuesday morning. The 47-year-old has three days of training at Euxton, before the first game of his North End tenure.

With promotion from the level under his belt, the ex-Sheffield United man has a good idea of what success looks like. Heckingbottom knows he has an experienced group of pros to work with at Preston, with his challenge to take them to the next level. Mentality, he feels, will be a big factor.

“A lot of that is in there, in terms of what I’ve seen from the players,” Heckingbottom told the Lancashire Post. “How easy is it to instil? I think you have to be demanding, but the consistency is the key. I enjoy that part of life... doing things, giving your best. People who don’t give their best, I don’t think they will enjoy working with me. But, I am happy about that.

“Do you know what I mean? Because you tend to surround yourself with like-minded people and, just like anything, there probably will be casualties during your time. But, everyone will get an opportunity. I will be really clear with it. I like people who work hard and do things with a smile on their face. So, for me, I think it’s pretty easy to get that mentality - but it doesn’t suit everyone.”

It’s the Hatters on home soil, then a return to the final club of Heckingbottom’s playing career in Harrogate Town - whom PNE face in the Carabao Cup. North End will then go to Oxford United, before the first international break of the season. It’s going to be a relentless couple of weeks for the new manager, who knows how valuable that period will be when it comes along.

“It will be,” said Heckingbottom. “We have got three big games coming up, where we want to have a good look at all the players. The window is still open, so it is literally going to be flat out until that international break. We’ve not got too many players away as it stands, hopefully.

“That gives us time to be on the grass, working with them. Then we can really start to try and build, and create that clear identity of what we want to look like on the grass. The squad will be the squad then and we’ll just be working together.”