How Sheffield United boss convinces new signings to choose football over finance at Bramall Lane

Heckingbottom’s approach saw him persuade Tom Lawrence to join the Blades ahead of more lucrative offers from elsewhere in the Championship – before Rangers came in and, in the manager’s words, “blew everyone else out of the water” to sign the former Derby County man – and also helped deliver Ciaran Clark to Bramall Lane earlier this week.

The Newcastle United defender had other suitors in the second tier, thought to include Stoke and Birmingham City, but chose United after speaking with Heckingbottom, also collecting references on life at the Lane from the likes of Enda Stevens, John Egan and Jason Tindall.

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Asked if he feels that players see United as an atttactive club to join, Heckingbottom – whose side are looking to mount another promotion charge this season after losing in the semi-finals of the play-offs to Nottingham Forest last time around - insisted: “Yeah, I do.

“How we finished the season, and how close we got to where we wanted to be, makes us an appealing club, and one that thinks it is going to be competing again this season.

“The style of play and how we played, lots of people have been mentioning that and wanting to see themselves in our team.

“The fans; we had the highest attendance last season, which was fantastic. That's a great selling point.

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“We have got a natural appeal but then it's about getting in front of [the players]. The best players are always going to be sought after so what are we going to do different and how are we going to sell ourselves to make sure we are the ones they choose?

“Our approach is very simple. If we can get in front of the player, I believe we can sell the club in a way that makes us not have to rely on paying the most money and paying the biggest salary.

“By that I mean be really clear on how we work. We like to improve and push people and we like to make it enjoyable. We are really clear on where we see the players, where we see them in our team and what would their role be in the red and white of Sheffield United.

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“We make it really clear, while we are sat talking to them, what they can expect from us and how we are going to make them better. I am then really clear on what I expect from them. My experience more often than not is that that is a good thing.

“If someone wasn’t up for that, didn't want to work hard and didn't want to be pushed and give everything for the team and choose somewhere else, they are probably not the player that we want anyway.

“It works both ways and it has shown again this summer that people choose us for football rather than financial ones.”

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