No issue between Sheffield United manager and Jack Robinson: 'I love all of my players'

Television cameras captured the pair involved in a heated debate on the touchline after Heckingbottom withdrew Robinson following goalkeeper Wes Foderingham’s sending-off midway through the opening period. The centre-half was later seen apologising as the two teams made their way off the pitch at half-time, with Heckingbottom dismissing any talk of a row afterwards.

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“I know why Jack was disappointed,” Heckingbottom told The Star. “He knows why I was angry but, genuinely, it’s no problem. There’s no issue there at all. I don’t want an apology off any of the lads. I love them to bits and they’re all great blokes. Really, I’ve talked about this before, I look at them like they are my kids. People will write about it and talk about it. There’s nothing there.”

“We all want to win,” Heckingbottom added. “It never happened to me in my career but, if it had, I would probably have been upset too. It’s not an issue.”

United looked comfortable until the first of three catastrophic lapses effectively handed victory to Championship leaders Burnley, who had sealed promotion back to the Premier League three days earlier. Neither Foderingham nor Robinson took control of the situation when Nathan Tella hunted down a loose ball on the edge of the visitors’ box, with the former Rangers player shown red for upending the midfielder as he nipped in between them.

Still second in the table and five points clear of third placed Luton Town with six league outings remaining on their schedule, United kept Vincent Kompany’s men at bay until just past the hour mark when another error allowed substitute Johann Berg Gundmundsson to claim the first of his two strikes. The Icelander pounced again soon after, following a misjudgement by Foderingham’s deputy Adam Davies. The Wales international had earlier made a finance save to deny Jordan Beyer.

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“I came here, excited for a good game of football,” Heckingbottom said. “Our sense of disappointment stems from the fact we couldn’t put in a performance, not the one that we wanted anyway because of Wes going off. We made a mistake and an error. I know why we’ve lost and that’s why I’m so disappointed. It’s not something that I have to look at or review over and over again.”

Vincent Kompany, Heckingbottom’s opposite number at Turf Moor, admitted that Foderingham’s exit had shaped the contest between the division’s two leading clubs. With United boasting a game in hand over their rivals from Bedfordshire, Kompany indicated he expects them to join Burnley in the top-flight next term but warned the race to finish as runners-up behind his men is far from over.

United meet Cardiff City this weekend while Luton travel to Rotherham. With Heckingbottom confirming he had no issues with Foderingham’s dismissal, Davies will start Saturday’s fixture.

“We have played them (United) twice now and they have posed us questions every time,” said Kompany, who also acknowledged Burnley had been intent on gaining revenge for November’s defeat at Bramall Lane. “When you look at their options, people like Iliman Ndiaye up front and Sander Berge, you can see why. They have good balance and the options.”