PNE CEO has spoken exclusively to the Lancashire Post: https://www.lep.co.uk/sport/football/preston-north-end/preston-north-end-transfer-news-rumours-callum-lang-portsmouth-pompey-sheffield-wednesday-pne-5235748
00:00One's back here with us, so having a look at him back in England rather than in Spain.
00:09So obviously Paul saw enough to bring him back and I think that playing here the next few days will give us the opportunity to decide what we want to do with him.
00:21I think Paul was impressed enough to want to get him back and he was good enough to come back with us.
00:27And when you say the other one, you presumably mean the young laddie of the academy who scored three goals last week.
00:35Yes.
00:37The latest I understand is that we have made a proposal to him for a scholarship and a first year pro.
00:44I spoke to his parents yesterday and him with Nick Harrison.
00:51They seem to have been very impressed with the week over here.
00:53We were obviously pleased with what he'd done, three goals I think in two games.
01:00And we're just waiting to hear their reaction.
01:04But I personally had a call with the parents yesterday and the young man.
01:09I mean, he was good. He was over here on his birthday as well.
01:11I think his birthday was last Friday.
01:13So, yes, he'd enjoyed it and he'd done well.
01:16So just waiting to hear back from him.
01:18How did both of those two opportunities come around?
01:21Obviously very different, a young lad with a lot of hype around him really and then an international player looking for his next club.
01:30Well, the first one is obviously we've got a lot of good contacts both in the north of Ireland and in the Republic.
01:35His agent happens to be somebody who'd played for us in the past, which is always helpful.
01:43So between scouting and our relationship with his agent alerted him to us.
01:50In terms of Andrea, he's a Montenegro international and he's got the same agent as Millie.
01:59So he came highly recommended by both Millie and the agent.
02:04So our scouts had a look at him on the usual data and video and whatever.
02:09And we invited him to join us in Spain last week.
02:12And he would tick off.
02:14The manager's been hoping about wanting a left-sided player.
02:16That would be that one ticked off because you've been linked with a few players that fit that box.
02:21But if he did sign, that would be done, would it?
02:25Well, it would be done in that position, yeah.
02:27I mean, you know, when you sit and look at social media and who we're linked with,
02:34it makes me smile because, you know, for every one that's true, another five aren't.
02:40And the problem we've got is if we don't sign the four that aren't true in the first place,
02:45people think we've lost out when actually they were never true in the first place.
02:50But you're right.
02:51We've been looking for a number of players potentially in that position.
02:57And, you know, he just came on the radar and we had a rare opportunity because once you're as experienced as he is,
03:04it's unusual to get a chance.
03:06It's a bit like test driving a car, isn't it?
03:08You know, this is a situation where we've had an opportunity to see him as opposed to we have to take a gamble to start with.
03:15So, you know, it's perfect that we've got that opportunity.
03:17Is the fact he knows Militano's mate, Jenny, part of it or is it purely looking at him as a player?
03:25Is there any sense of it might help him settle over here more?
03:28He's been here for two years now, but is that any element to it?
03:31No, it's all to do with, you know, is he any good and does he fit the bill?
03:36Yeah.
03:36I mean, you know, I remember years ago when I was at Leeds, we signed Rod Wallace and Ray Wallace.
03:43They were twins and Rod Wallace everybody had heard of and Ray Wallace was still, you know, in his shadows at Southampton.
03:50But we signed them both in a deal.
03:52And when I said to the chief exec at the time, why do we sign both?
03:54He said, oh, you know, Ray's just come to look after his brother.
04:00They were twins, actually.
04:01So the two came together as a package, so they settled in.
04:05But I think this is completely different.
04:07This is, Millie's here, he's been here for two years.
04:10This is a player that Millie knows through the international team.
04:12He's available.
04:14He fixed the bill in terms of position.
04:17The scouts and analysts are happy with what they've seen.
04:20It's sort of data.
04:23But what we've got is an opportunity to see him in real life.
04:25And those who saw him play on Friday in Spain will realise he's got talent.
