North End Natter

Lancashire Post

Mark McMahon is joined by the LEP's George Hodgson to discuss Preston North End's busy start to the summer, after Thierry Small became the Lilywhites' fourth signing.

Transcript

00:00Hello and welcome to North End Matter. My name is Mark McMahon and joining me today to discuss

00:06all the developments at Deepdale is George Hodson. George, this time last week we were

00:12talking about one or two signings and a decent window. A week later, four signings through the

00:17door with Paul, Valentin and Thierry Small, the latest. A decent start from Preston North End

00:24in the transfer window. Yeah, they've been busy. Obviously, they were going to be signing

00:30around 10 new players this summer and they've wasted absolutely no time. I don't think any

00:33other club in the league has been quite as busy as Preston. So, pleasing to get some business

00:40done early doors. It was always going to be really busy. I think the last signing, Thierry

00:45Smalls, I would imagine is the one that's excited people the most. He was obviously linked with

00:50quite a few different clubs and now they're going to be looking for them difference makers

00:56in attack, I think. So, they've sort of laid the foundations with these four they've got

01:00in so far and there's still much more to do. Yeah, I'll talk about Thierry Small in a second

01:07but before that, Paul, Valentin, a three-year deal from Sheffield Wednesday, free transfer.

01:13Is that a good bit of business by North End? Yeah, we'll have to see really. I spoke to

01:20Alex Miller from the Sheffield Star who gave a pretty decent verdict on the Spaniard. He

01:25spent two years at Hillsborough and the fans there seemed to take to him. He seems like

01:30he'll add a bit of pace to the side and yeah, maybe something a little bit different but

01:35he's got massive boots to fill with Kane Kessel-Hayden having played in that position

01:38last year and excelled. So, I think he only made 13 league starts. So, we'll have to see

01:44how many games he can play for North End this season but clearly, Eckenbottom is someone

01:51he's been aware of and he likes his character which he's massive on and I watched his interview,

01:55he came across as a decent sort of person as well. So, he's ticked that box and I don't

02:01think he's one that's going to play every single week but he might be an impact off the bench

02:05even though he's a defender and yeah, it seems like he'll give his all which North End fans

02:09will always take to. Obviously, another 28-year-old after signing Jordan Thompson so I can understand

02:15why people maybe aren't too enthusiastic with it but obviously, you've got to give the

02:20lad a chance and I'm sure he'll be back 20 plays and see how he gets on but yeah, three-year

02:25deal. I'm sure he's delighted with that.

02:27Yeah. Terry Small then obviously came in on Friday, late doors Friday. I know Preston have

02:33been linked with him since January but were you taken by surprise even by that one?

02:41Yeah, I think so. He just felt like one that North End wouldn't win the race for, like a

02:47young, talented player in League One who's just played a part in a promotion. He's, you

02:54know, like I say, he's 20 years old, he's got a good pedigree, he's come through at some

02:57big clubs, he's got all the kind of athletic traits. I haven't watched him every week but

03:01what I have seen is he's quite exciting so I just expected him to go somewhere

03:06else and I'm sure a lot of North End fans were the same but I think there was sort

03:10of reports after the cup game when they played Charlton and Jan that Preston were

03:15like pushing for it and really wanted to get him in and they weren't up against, I

03:20think it was Oxford, Blackburn, Millwall and Derby linked. Now they're not really a

03:25level beyond Preston so they might have always had a chance and clearly they've

03:29impressed him, they've said all the right things and I would imagine they've made him

03:32a pretty lucrative offer as well to get him in so quickly.

03:36What do you think he fits in? Bear in mind he's also 20 years of age, do you say he's

03:41come from League One, do you see him walking straight into that or starting 11 or what's

03:46your sort of thoughts on the whole process going forward?

03:50Yeah, I think he'll be a starter, I'm just not sure where he's going to play, that's the

03:53thing I'm really interested to see because he was playing I think right wing back but

03:58he was coming, when he came through he was known as a left back I think so he can

04:01definitely play on both sides, he cuts in well from the right but obviously if he's

04:06playing right wing back he's going to have to do a lot of defending and it's in a better

04:10league than he was playing in and he's never played in a championship so I'll be really

04:14interested to see how he gets on, he's got a lot of things going for him, I think

04:18he'll bring obviously something extra in attack because he's like powerful, aggressive,

04:24fast player who the fans are hopefully going to like to watch but yeah I think there's

04:29definitely, there's obviously a lot of excitement around him but I think there needs to be patience

04:33as well, you've got to give him time to find his feet and playing at a new level, Heckingbottom's

04:38not going to play him if he doesn't sort of do everything he wants so yeah hopefully someone

04:42who can become really good in the future and an asset for the club but maybe just don't

04:47expect the world from him like straight off the bat.

04:50Yeah, obviously he's got roots to the North West as well being at Everton at one stage

04:55but he moves from Southampton from Chartland so he's a bit of a southern boy really but

05:01yeah those links in the North West should help him adapt up there shouldn't it?

05:05Yeah, I think pretty much every player that comes to the North End has been really

05:09complimentary about the dressing room and the group as they always say so I watched

05:14his interview he came across really bubbly and positive and humble as well so I'm sure

05:20he'll fit straight in, Heckingbottom again wouldn't have signed him if he didn't like his

05:25sort of character as well so yeah I think he's from Solihull so maybe a little bit back up

05:33towards his end sort of thing but yeah no doubt he'll fit in, looking forward to seeing how he

05:37gets on and speaking to him as well whenever he does his first media.

05:41Yeah, so what's next for Paul Heckingbottom on his transfer wanted list?

05:47Definitely a striker, maybe two. Emil Rees obviously left the club and you've lost Sam Greenwood

05:53and Dwayne Holmes from last season's squad as well so definitely looking at that final third now.

05:59I think there's room for another right centre-back as well to maybe compete with Jordan Story

06:03if Jack Quotmo's going to maybe go out on loan as there's been murmuring to that so yeah four in

06:10and I'd expect at least four more maybe five so we'll have to see how they get on but what they've

06:18done is give themselves maybe a little bit of time to really hone in and get the ones they want now

06:24because they've got four in after six, seven days whatever it was so and they might have to wait for

06:29the loan market which kicks in a bit later and there must be some money to spend as well so yeah

06:34looking at that final third now to get some difference makers in and players who can score

06:40the goals which is the hardest thing to do.

06:42Yeah, I'll talk to you about money in a second. What about Curry Drama? Is that dead in the water now

06:50after these two arrivals or what's happening there? Still interest there I think I just got the

06:55impression the clubs weren't really going anywhere with talks. If we signed him now I'd be interested

07:03to see where he was going to play because I was under the impression right wing back they've signed

07:07Valentin, they've signed Small who can play there Brad Potts is still contracted even though he might

07:12go and play midfield so maybe he's viewed as that right centre-back option, someone who can get forward

07:19from that position as well really interesting to see if they get him in where he fits but I think

07:24it's one people I'd still like to see get done and as we said last time he's pretty keen to come here

07:30by all accounts so I'd definitely keep an eye on it I wouldn't say it's completely off the cards but

07:36as we reported the other day probably looking more unlikely at the minute.

07:40Yeah, what's the sort of way been the uptake from fans after Preston's early business? Are fans

07:47encouraged by what they've seen? Is it giving them a wee bit more excitement about what next season may hold?

07:53Yeah I've seen a lot of the and obviously social media is a very negative place but what I've seen

07:58people seem pretty happy with it and I could understand if anyone was reserving some excitement and

08:05enthusiasm until small came in because that's more the deal that people want to see like a young

08:09player who you could maybe sell on and he's going to be good to watch now got his best years ahead of

08:14him whereas you know two 28 year olds it's obviously not 30 they're still experienced players two 28 year

08:22olds who've been released by other championship clubs I could understand why people wouldn't be

08:27too positive about that but you can certainly see why he's brought those in and then Daniel Iverson's a

08:32massively popular figure as well and it's just about getting him back so yeah I think small getting

08:40done will definitely tip people over to the more positive side and if they can build on that and get

08:47get some more exciting players then I think it could be a decent summer but certainly a lot of judgment

08:54still to come we'll have to see what they can do. Yeah and the four signings so far have been three

08:59transfers what's the chances of North End splashing a wee bit of cash then?

09:04Well they better I'd do yeah I think so obviously lost Emil Rees who scored 11 league goals last

09:10season and they will need replacing I'm not sure the four players who've come in so far well Iverson

09:17definitely won't be scoring goals so yeah they need to boost that side of the team but I'd expect to see

09:23some money spent for sure whether it's like two players for a million and a half each or you go

09:30and spend another two million pound on on a forward and obviously they're not going to be spending much

09:35more than that never do really North End and that's understandable but yeah got a got a back Paul

09:40Eckenbottom after nearly being relegated and spend some money there obviously was training compensation

09:45played for pay for small with his age and he was offered a deal at Charlton but can't imagine that's anything

09:50too uh too huge so uh yeah definitely would expect to see some some transfer fees spent in the next few

09:58weeks. Good stuff George. George I've taken up enough of a lot of your time already so we'll crack on with

10:05our other business thanks again for your time and thank you all for watching North End Natters

10:11I got there in the end George but no thank you and thank you all for watching we'll be back again soon

10:15goodbye

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