'Need a run': Marginalised Scotland star welcomes fresh start after teaming up with old boss

Centre-half has not featured for national team since the Euros

Marginalised Scotland defender Ryan Porteous is hoping to “perform consistently well” for Preston North End after joining the English Championship side on deadline day from league rivals Watford.

Porteous has lost his place as a starter for the Hornets this season and has not featured for Scotland since being sent off during the first half of last summer’s European Championships curtain-raiser against Germany after a rash tackle on Ilkay Gundogan.

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While Porteous has remained part of manager Steve Clarke’s national team squad, he did not feature in any of Scotland’s six Nations League matches and has gone from being a regular to behind Grant Hanley, John Souttar and Scott McKenna in the pecking order for centre-halves.

Ryan Porteous has not played for Scotland since being sent off against Germany at Euro 2024.Ryan Porteous has not played for Scotland since being sent off against Germany at Euro 2024.
Ryan Porteous has not played for Scotland since being sent off against Germany at Euro 2024. | SNS Group

The 25-year-old has reunited with his old Hibs boss Paul Heckingbottom at Preston and is expected to be a prominent member of their defence alongside another Scotland hopeful in Liam Lindsay.

Speaking about his move to Deepdale, Porteous said: “I’m delighted. It’s all come about quite fast. When the manager spoke to me, having worked with him before at Hibs, I was pretty sure that I was going to come here. I'm looking forward to it. I think at the age I am now, I need a consistent run of games and a healthy environment. I feel that Preston can provide that right now.”

“There's probably not as much research required from both parties, to be honest, because we know what to expect. I've worked with him [Heckingbottom] before and I was actually injured the last time I was, so I'm looking forward to getting back out there. When we were at Hibs, it was a pretty brief spell that I got to play under him, cut down to injury back then.

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Ryan Porteous and Paul Heckingbottom worked together when they were at Hibs.Ryan Porteous and Paul Heckingbottom worked together when they were at Hibs.
Ryan Porteous and Paul Heckingbottom worked together when they were at Hibs. | SNS Group

“It brought a good bit of success to the football club and hopefully we can do that again. The conversations were pretty brief, but I spoke to him. I spoke to Liam Lindsay as well, and they spoke very highly of the club and highly recommended it. It all happened pretty quickly but efficiently. I'm looking forward to it.

“I think at the age I am now, I need a consistent run of games and a healthy environment. I feel that Preston can provide that right now. That's obviously my short-term to long-term goals here because it's only a three-month loan, but hopefully I can perform consistently well and bring success to the football club as well.”

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