Preston held high-flying Nottingham Forest to a draw in midweek and one player that came out of the fixture fielding praise from manager Ryan Lowe was Ben Whiteman.

The new PNE boss has been heavy reliant on the former Doncaster man in the centre of the field since he took over and he has impressed with a good range of passing, excellent vision and a superb set-piece ability to boot. Now, Lowe has claimed to LancsLive that he feels the 25-year-old can end up as one of the 'best number fours in the division.'

Whiteman has been one of, if not the, most consistent and regular players in the Preston team so far this season. With 32 league appearances, only Sepp van den Berg, Daniel Iversen and Emil Riis have managed more this campaign.

With four goals and four assists too - as well as plenty of key passes and tackles along the way - he has cemented himself as one of the first names on the teamsheet for the Lilywhites. Under Ryan Lowe he is continuing to thrive and he appears to be one of the manager's most trusted players since he took over.

In fact, the boss has heaped even more praise on Whiteman this afternoon after his performance in PNE's draw with Nottingham Forest. He had more passes and tackles than anyone on the field against Steve Cooper's side and was arguably one of the best players involved in the game.

Now, Lowe has revealed to LancsLive that he feels the 25-year-old could end up as one of the best in his position in the entire league. He said after the game: "I took them [Ben Whiteman and Brad Potts] off [on Saturday] purely for the matter that it was for the team.

"I had to change it because I felt Ben wasn't getting on the ball as much but he was awesome tonight wasn't he? And that is what I expect from Ben Whiteman; he is a top quality player.

"And I keep saying this to him, that the more he listens, the more he does the right things and sticks to the game plan - he can be one of the best number fours in the division I believe, and I think he believes that as well."

Preston have a wealth of talent in midfield right now and if Whiteman does keep this level of performance up, then there is certainly no reason why he couldn't end up as one of the leaders in his position in the future.

The Verdict

Ben Whiteman has adapted well to life as a Preston player and under Ryan Lowe especially he is beginning to thrive.

He was brought in last January as Ben Pearson departed and although he featured prominently, he still was not a guaranteed starter. Now, he is arguably one of the first names on the teamsheet and suits the way that Ryan Lowe wants to play football down to a tee.

He's making that position in the centre of the field his own and that is despite PNE also having the likes of Ryan Ledson, Alan Browne and Ali McCann to turn to who can also fill that midfield slot. His vision has often carved open the opposition at will and he has been key for them so far.

Reading wasn't his best game but he was back to the peak of his powers against Nottingham Forest, even though his side couldn't get the win. If he can keep it up, then his regular game-time is likely to continue.