[themaclad]

LAST TIME OUT



FORM GUIDE

PNE 10 BLADES 13

The Boss

Barnsley
Heckingbottom took the opportunity to gain an academic understanding of football coaching, to set his CV apart from other managers competing for jobs. He completed his BSc (Hons) Sports Coaching at Leeds Metropolitan University in 2013, followed by an MSc in Sport Coaching in 2016, by which point the university had been renamed Leeds Beckett University.[28]

He went on to work as a coach with professional club Barnsley's development squad, and was appointed caretaker manager of the first team after Danny Wilson was sacked in 2015. He was not appointed on a permanent basis in favour of Lee Johnson, though was appointed in the caretaker manager role once again the following year after Johnson left to manage Bristol City. During the latter spell, he guided Barnsley to a 3–2 win against Oxford United in the Football League Trophy final[29] and promotion to the Championship by beating Millwall 3–1 in the League One play-off final.[30] His success as caretaker, leading Barnsley to their first cup final victory since 1912 and promotion to the Championship, led to his being appointed head coach on a permanent basis.[31]

The good form and results continued for the first half of the 2016–17 Championship season, as the club ended 2016 in ninth position. Heckingbottom was awarded Sports Hero of the Year by The Yorkshire Post.[32] Heckingbottom signed a new rolling contract at Barnsley on 2 February 2018,[33] but he left the club days later to take a similar position with Leeds United.

Leeds United
On 6 February 2018, Heckingbottom was announced as the new head coach of Leeds United on an 18-month contract.[34] In his first match as head coach, Leeds lost 2–1 to Sheffield United,[35] and finished 13th in the 2017–18 EFL Championship league table. Heckingbottom blooded youngster Bailey Peacock-Farrell as first-choice goalkeeper and also gave debuts to academy players Tom Pearce, Paudie O'Connor, Hugo Díaz and Ryan Edmondson.[36] Heckingbottom integrated further academy players with the first team during a controversial post-season tour of Myanmar.[37][38] Heckingbottom was sacked by Leeds on 1 June 2018, after just four months with the club, and was succeeded by Marcelo Bielsa.[39]

Hibernian
Heckingbottom was appointed head coach of Scottish Premiership club Hibernian on 13 February 2019.[40] The club went on an unbeaten league run, and Heckingbottom won the Premiership Manager of the Month award for March 2019.[41] Two days later, Heckingbottom won his first Edinburgh derby match as Hibs manager against Hearts at Tynecastle.[42] Hibs finished in fifth position, but Heckingbottom was unhappy that the team "downed tools" in the last few matches of the season.[43]

Hibs won only one of their first eleven league matches in the 2019–20 season. Heckingbottom was sacked on 4 November following a 5–2 defeat by Celtic in a League Cup semi-final, with the team sitting in 10th place in the league.[44]

Sheffield United
Heckingbottom was appointed as under-23s lead coach at Sheffield United in July 2020.[45] After first-team manager Chris Wilder left the club by mutual consent in March 2021, with the team bottom of the Premier League and 12 points adrift of safety, Heckingbottom took interim charge until the end of the season.[46][47] United lost 5–0 to Leicester City in his first match in charge,[48] and relegation to the Championship was confirmed after four more defeats.[49] Sheffield United won three of their last six matches, and Heckingbottom was reportedly shortlisted for the permanent position, but former Fulham manager Slaviša Jokanović was appointed instead, with Heckingbottom returning to his previous role as the under-23s manager at the club.[50]

On 25 November 2021, Heckingbottom was appointed manager of Sheffield United on a four-and-a-half year deal following the sacking of Slaviša Jokanović.[51] In his first game in charge, the Blades beat Bristol City 2–0.[52]

Famous Fan

Richard Sharpe