Preston North End boss answers obvious Nottingham Forest transfer question given 25-year-old's spell

Preston North End manager Paul Heckingbottom says there is still time for Josh Bowler to force his way into the first team picture.

The Lilywhites snapped the 25-year-old up on transfer deadline day, with Bowler the one signing made by Heckingbottom after his appointment at Deepdale.

But, game time has significantly dried up for the tricky winger over the last few weeks - raising questions over whether his season-long loan move from the City Ground will actually go the distance.

“I speak to Josh all the time about it,” said Heckingbottom. “Obviously, he wants to play and is frustrated. We knew he was a bit behind on fitness when he first came in - and were really pleased with how he was progressing.

“Then, he had a couple of setbacks and missed quite a bit of training, which knocked him back. We were just chatting, two weeks ago, about what he needs to do. He is determined and it is an opportunity for him. We know he got knocked back a little bit and he’ll be frustrated with his game time.

“But, we have just been really clear on what we need to see and what I need to see - to give him that opportunity. You are always competing. While you are bothered about every player and want them all to do well, you still cannot prioritise one above another.

“Everyone has to be treated the same, so he understands and knows what he is trying to do. There is a long way to go until that window. And yeah, similar to Dai (Cornell), we are just going to make sure that if that opportunity comes, he is ready to take it.”