'100 per cent' - Paul Heckingbottom sets out clear Preston North End plan after four done deals

Preston North End manager Paul Heckingbottom believes the club’s young players need to be playing competitive games, for the good of their development.

Last week, the Lilywhites confirmed midfielder Noah Mawene’s loan move to League Two outfit Newport County. That deal followed Josh Seary’s temporary switch to Northern Irish side Larne, while Kacper Pasiek has headed out to Marine and Finlay Cross-Adair is with Prescot Cables.

Several first team debuts have been made in the last couple of seasons, but Kian Best is the only one to clock up a high number of minutes on the senior stage. Previous boss Ryan Lowe felt it was important to get North End’s youngsters out in the EFL, where possible. And Heckingbottom also sees the loan market as the obvious best pathway, if first team opportunities are going to be in short supply.

“100 per cent, we want to progress them,” said Heckingbottom. “It’s first team football. So, you could be here training with me, no problem - we’ll put training sessions on. But, where are they going to be judged? Plus, two reasons. If I thought I was going to use them often, getting them involved and guaranteeing them minutes - then I wouldn’t be letting them go out.

“I will use Noah as an example. I think that is a fantastic opportunity... league football with Newport, a big challenge. He is a great lad, who impressed us in our first week. But, at the minute, I am looking at the midfielders in front of him and thinking: ‘Do you know what? You are going to be tested a lot more in League Two’. So, I think there is a responsibility on my part.

“Firstly, to give him that - and also, that has got to be the approach of the club. They are potentially big assets, who could be in the first team in the future. But, only if we give them that opportunity to impress - so the loans are a big thing. It’s a huge step (from U19s) - even into League Two. So, yeah, I think the other thing, from my experience, is that I wouldn’t make negative judgements on the loans either. You see it as part of their learning and where they are. You certainly make positive judgements.

“If they are performing well, it’s a big bonus. But, it’s a big stretch and a big test. You are taking them out of an environment they know really well and, hugely, out of their comfort zone. When you’ve trained all week and then play in the reserves, or 19s... all of a sudden there is a different expectation. You have got fans of a team who expect to win and players in your team who’ve got mortgages to pay and contracts to compete for. It’s a huge shift and yeah, it can catch people out, definitely.”