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Gaffer Pleased With Summer Progress So Far

20 June 2016

Community

Gaffer Pleased With Summer Progress So Far

20 June 2016

Manager Simon Grayson is happy with the progress the Club have made so far this summer.

North End have made two additions to the squad so far ahead of the 2016/17 campaign, and the gaffer admits that patience is key when it comes to the transfer market.

"This time of year everybody is a bit impatient and everyone wants the deals to be done but I am really pleased with where we are at this moment in time.

"The lads we have already brought in, the ones that are moving on behind the scenes, we are always look to improve.

"I think when you look around, football in general has been pretty quiet, there haven't been loads of deals happening. We are going along with our business nice and quietly."

Speaking of his latest recruit Simon Makienok, the PNE boss feels the 6ft 7in striker will bring a different dimension to his attacking options.

"I think he will just bring us something different, obviously with the physical size of him, but he's a good footballer as well. He's got a good goalscoring ratio at Brondby which got him the move to Palermo, it didn't quite work for him there last year and he went to Charlton and started the season really well.

"The reports from there were very good, obviously Charlton struggled at the back end of the season and probably didn't utilise him as well as they should have done but we are looking at it as a different option for us.

"In our ranks now we have Joe Garner, Jermaine Beckford, Jordan Hugill, Simon now and Stevie May once he comes back. So we are making sure we have different types of players within the squad, to help us along our way for next season which is going to be another tough season for us."

Meanwhile, new PNE goalkeeper Chris Maxwell spent two weeks away with the Wales national side ahead of Euro 2016 and the manager feels the experience will only benefit the 25-year-old.

"It will have been a big psychological boost that he's been amongst it, using those training facilities etc. He's been very fortunate he's been in and around that mentality and spirit within the Welsh camp, I sampled that first hand and it was very good.

"He will be coming into an environment like that at our football club as well so everything can only help the individual when they are in and around places like that."

The boss himself has also been taking in the Euros during his time away from Deepdale, but is looking forward to the squad's return for pre-season.

"From a personal point of view, it's been nice that over the last few weeks I've managed to watch Wales train for a day and then went out to Ireland for a couple of days to watch them train and then I went over to France last week to watch a couple of games.

"It's been nice to be back in the football environment because I get itchy feet wanting to get back to work in terms of being out on the grass and coaching etc.

"It's nice to keep educating yourself, keep learning things and making contacts with different people."

You can hear more from our catch up with the gaffer on PNE PlayerHD now by clicking on the video below.  


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