GARY Madine is ready to make amends on and off the pitch following his arrest last weekend.

The striker was questioned by police – and later released without charge – after an alleged incident in a pub last Friday during England’s friendly against Germany.

But after speaking to his man, Whites manager Phil Parkinson is in no doubt Madine – who will be footing the bill for this year’s present-giving excursions – is all set to face Preston North End seven days on, and that reports of his role in the incident in Gateshead have been greatly exaggerated.

“A lot more was made of the situation than actually happened but equally me and Gaz have had a good chat about it and he understands he doesn’t want that kind of publicity and neither does the club,” said Parkinson.

“Off his own bat he’s going to pay for all the Christmas presents this year for all the kids at Derian House and the local hospital.

“He’ll go with our commercial department and see the kids there – it’s a gesture to give something back, I feel that’s good. “

Madine played himself back into the supporters’ affections last season and has led the line in his typical robust fashion back in the Championship this time around. And the 27-year-old’s manager has faith he will be putting such potential indiscretions firmly behind him.

“He’s trained well this week, he was in on Sunday and he’s ready to get back out there at Preston,” he added. “We’ve got on very well with him since we’ve been here.

“He understands he has got to be careful and not put himself in those situations where he can get negative publicity but equally he’s ready to play, it’s not affected him in any way.”

Wanderers head for their near rivals on the back of collecting nine points from their last five games.

Their injury-riddled hosts, meanwhile, are in a real slump and, already without a win in six and having lost their last four matches, could be without up to seven frontline defenders out tonight, and two front-line forwards also absent.

Not that Parkinson is under any illusions as to the task awaiting them, adding: “We spoke to the lads it’s difficult to predict the team, they may make changes through injuries or players coming back or after their result last time out at Ipswich [a 3-0 defeat] but it’s important we just concentrate on what we’ve been doing well in recent weeks and take it into this game.”