Bambo Diaby has enjoyed his recent involvement with the first team, something which he has been working hard towards.
The Senegalese defender had a frustrating start to the campaign with injury keeping him sidelined in spells, while at other times the performances of those in the starting XI were simply keeping him at bay.
But the central defender has now featured in the past four Championship games, with only his second start of the league campaign coming in the recent victory over Stoke City.
Talking about the matches he’s played, Bambo told iFollow PNE: “I’ve enjoyed it because I’ve been working hard for that.
“I’ve said before, working hard is in my blood. I just keep working for the team. I kept working because I knew my opportunity was coming.
“But the lads were playing very well, so in situations like that the only thing we can do is learn every game.
“When you’re on the pitch, you’ve got to try do your best and that’s what I do.”
The 25-year-old will be hoping to be involved once again on Saturday, when Huddersfield Town come to Deepdale for an Emirates FA Cup third round clash.
It will be the fourth meeting between the two sides already this season, with both league matches having already been played and there was also a meeting in the Carabao Cup earlier in the campaign.
Bambo has only featured in one of those matches, though, as a late substitute in the Boxing Day defeat, and he is hoping to play this weekend so he can come up against a coach who helped him get to where he is – Narcís 'Chicho' Pèlach.
“It’s a special relationship with Chicho,” Bambo said. “It’s special because I was with him in Spain, in Girona.
“Every year I try to play against him and [I have had] no chance, but this time I hope to play against him.
“It’s very special to see him on the pitch, but of course I want to beat him.
“I want to beat Huddersfield and to make the supporters happy by getting to the next round.”
PNE have tasted victory over the Terriers twice away from home this season, winning 4-1 in the Carabao Cup before earning a 1-0 victory in the league courtesy of a Greg Cunningham header.
Bambo added: “For me, right now it doesn’t matter the competition; I just want to win.
“I’m fighting for that and I think everyone in the dressing room has the same mentality.
“We don’t care about which cup it is because we have a winning mentality. We are training hard for that and we want to keep that level high, because the way we want to go, we need that mentality to keep fighting to go up because the supporters deserve that.”
You can watch Bambo's full interview by clicking play on the video above.