Preston North End forward Emil Riis said he is focusing on developing under new manager Paul Heckingbottom rather than his contract expiring at the end of the 2024/25 Championship campaign.
Riis joined the Lancashire outfit in October 2020 and extended his contract just one year later in 2021. Following his contract extension, the Dane hit the ground running at Deepdale.
In the 2021/22 season, Riis struck 16 goals and made five assists in 44 Championship matches. However, the 26-year-old was unable to repeat his goal scoring feat from 2021/22 in the following two seasons. Here, Riis scored just 11 goals in 45 league games, as recorded by Transfermarkt.
The Dane has been entrusted to lead North End’s line early in the 2024/25 campaign. As a result, he has started all four of Preston’s opening Championship matches and got off the mark with a three-minute strike at Oxford United on Saturday. The striker also assisted Will Keane’s winner in the 1-0 victory over Luton.
Ultimately, Riis has shown an ability to score at the Championship level over the past two seasons. Yet his current contract expires in June 2025, which could lead to interest from elsewhere in the winter transfer window.
Some start to this one for North End! Sam Greenwood’s cross resulted in Stefán Thórdarson seeing a shot blocked and it eventually broke to Emil Riis who tucked away his first of the season from close range. 💪 [3′]
🟡 0-1 🔵 || #pnefc https://t.co/53hsHTAuPa
— Preston North End FC (@pnefc) August 31, 2024
When asked about his current contract situation by the Lancashire Post following the Oxford defeat, Riis admitted that he is fully focused on football for the time being.
“No, obviously there are a lot of things going on now, so I am just focusing on learning all the new stuff and doing the best I can. We’ll have to see.”
Riis has been part of the unsettled start for the unsettled start to the 2024/25 campaign at Deepdale. Former boss Ryan Lowe left by mutual consent after an opening day 2-0 loss to Sheffield United. Lowe was swiftly replaced by Paul Heckingbottom, who has overseen one win and a defeat in two Championship games in charge.
After making a contribution at Oxford on Saturday, Riis said he was delighted to open his account for the season. However, he also believes the squad have a lot to learn under Heckingbottom during the international break to move up the table from their current position of 21st.
“To remove that zero is always great, so I am just happy to be off the mark now – definitely. We are going to have to come in and be ready to learn, so it will be interesting.
“I think we’d usually have a week off, so normally I’d go home and enjoy seeing friends and family. That’s normally what I’d be doing, but it’s understandable when there’s a new manager – we have to be in because there’s a lot to learn. I’m looking forward to it.”
Writer’s View
If Riis continues to score Championship goals in the first half of the season, January could become very interesting. Currently, the Danish player is valued at £2.1 million, according to Transfermarkt. However, this amount is unlikely to remain the same as the striker enters the latter stages of his contract.
Preston will likely want to keep an asset like Riis, who suits the physical style of the Championship well. But it remains to be seen how much the forward’s contract demands would be. Moreover, if North End struggle to improve under Heckingbottom, Riis may favour a move in five months.
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