Billy Bodin has certainly been making an impact on the team in recent weeks and the forward feels that a big part of that is due to enjoying his time at the club.
Bodin joined North End in January from Bristol Rovers and after a period of settling in, he now feels that he’s getting used to what is expected from his at the club, but he was under no illusions before arriving at Deepdale.
Speaking to iFollow PNE, Billy said: “I’m really enjoying it. From the minute I came in the lads welcomed me pretty quickly and I got to know them as well as I could have. We’ve had a couple of good results which has made it even better.
“The first few games, it took me a while to get me used to this football, even training. It was a lot more high intensity than what I was used to but I think in the last two weeks I’ve got to grips with it and I’m certainly enjoying it more now.
“I’ve watched the lads before on TV this season so I already knew there was a lot of quality but training with them every day, you can definitely see how good they are. That’s one of the reasons why we’re doing so well in the league.”
On North End's hopes for the remainder of the season with a crucial run of games ahead, Bodin continued: "It’s one of them things where we’ve got to take it one game at a time; but you seem to see it every season that one team that goes about doing their business quietly.
"One team always seem to creep in and be the ones that no one expects to be there or thereabouts. We’ve just got to keep doing what we’re doing, we’ve had some good results recently and we’ve just got to keep doing that.
"They’re all obviously good teams and I think we’ve just got to go into those games and do what the manager asks, like we have done for the last two games. I’m sure if we play how the manager wants us to play and get the gameplan right we’ll come away with a couple of good results."
In his last two games, the winger has scored once and won two penalties, his goal profiting from hard work. That’s something that PNE’s number 39 is keen to continue for his new manager.
“In the first few weeks he sort of let me go out – obviously the first game was Wycombe – but he let me go out and play my normal game. He told me things to do better, I think the last two games I’ve probably done that a lot better.
"It’s about helping the team and doing as much as I can to help the team as much as I can.
“One of the main things is the work rate and the pressing from the front. Us front players have to start that off and the lads behind follow us, as long as we do as the manager asks – and that’s what he wants, the high press – as long as we get the ball high up the pitch, we’re closer to their goal and closer to creating chances and scoring goals."
Billy is now looking to carry on where both he and his teammates left off for the fans, as North End travel to Brentford this Saturday.
“It’s an old ground, I’ve been a couple of years ago with Swindon. It’s one of those grounds, a lot of players might not like it but I don’t mind it to be fair. It’s an old school ground, it can be intimidating but it’s a game that we’ve got to go there and perform well.
“The few away games that I have been here for we’ve brought loads of fans, I can’t wait to get there Saturday and hopefully there’s a fair few fans and we can put a performance in for them.”