Preston North End boss Paul Heckingbottom says the aim is to get Tottenham Hotspur loanee Alfie Devine into the England U21 squad, using Thierry Small’s recent breakthrough as the template.
The manager hailed Small’s progress after the defender’s maiden minutes for the Young Lions and set a similar target for Devine while stressing the need to protect key players returning from international duty.
What Happened and Why It Matters
Heckingbottom confirmed Small’s trajectory with England U21s is a benchmark for the squad and that Devine is the next player he wants to see at that level this season. Small, PNE’s number 26, has started every Championship game so far and earned a first U21 call-up in September before being asked back this month, making his debut against Moldova.
Alfie Devine is training with the senior England squad today
— The Spurs Web (@thespursweb) September 5, 2023
“Yeah, my aim is to try and get Alfie in that as well this season,” said Heckingbottom. “I think it’s great recognition and something that Thierry can be proud of. But it’s a stepping stone, isn’t it? You can’t be satisfied with a stepping stone.”
Heckingbottom highlighted the standard inside Lee Carsley’s setup, noting that U21 squads can include players aged 23 or 24 by the end of a cycle, which raises the bar for selection and performance. For Devine, regular minutes and productivity in the Championship will strengthen the case for inclusion, while Small’s rapid adaptation underlines the pathway available at Deepdale.
Small was among several PNE players away during the international break. Northern Ireland midfielder Ali McCann started against Slovakia and Germany, impressing his club manager with energy and organisation. The flipside is workload: recent seasons show McCann has had to manage fatigue-related issues, and PNE are calibrating selections to avoid repeat problems as the schedule intensifies.
Reaction, Impact, and What Comes Next
The immediate implication is a careful balance between individual international ambitions and PNE’s need for continuity. Devine’s case for England U21 recognition is clear: a high-ceiling midfielder from Spurs, getting regular second-tier exposure and tactical responsibility.
🎶 Alfie Devine ole ole 🎶
🚀 🚀 🚀 🚀 🚀 🚀 🚀 🚀 #pnefc pic.twitter.com/K7f4iyYitT
— PNE Police (@PNEPolice) September 20, 2025
If his output tracks upward in the coming weeks, he becomes a live candidate in a competitive pool. Small, already capped at U21 level, now has a new reference point for consistency, with Heckingbottom framing youth-international honours as motivation rather than destination.
For McCann, the club will continue to manage minutes post-breaks. Heckingbottom accepted that recent double-headers shaped team selection at West Brom and referenced a broader pattern across the last 4 Championship campaigns, where the midfielder’s league appearances have been constrained. With a dense autumn schedule, marginal calls on rotation, substitutions and training loads will be decisive.
There were further considerations across the squad. The staff monitored Andy Vukcevic’s accumulated minutes away with his country, while “Milly” returned from injury and a court case to play 2 matches on international duty, prompting sensible caution on durability for club fixtures. The overall message is that PNE will use squad depth to maintain standards, not simply to plug gaps.
“We’ve picked good teams,” said Heckingbottom. “We’ve got Ali on the bench coming on. Andy we were worried about as well, because he’s had big numbers when he’s been away.
“Milly, his training programme’s been poor for us the last 5, 6 weeks due to injury and a court case. He went away and played 2 games again, so we knew that he’d probably not last.”
In the bigger picture, aligning individual development with team results is central to Preston’s model. Small’s step to England U21 level, and a potential Devine call-up, signal that Deepdale is a platform where elite habits are demanded and rewarded.
