Paul Heckingbottom reveals the assurance he sought from Sheffield United's board

Heckingbottom took charge on a temporary basis following Chris Wilder’s departure earlier this month, and is scheduled to stay in place until the end of the campaign while owner HRH Prince Abdullah bin Musa’ad bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and his inner circle consider potential replacements for the 53-year-old.

Although Heckingbottom acknowledged he could step back into frontline football “at some point” in the future, the former Barnsley, Leeds and Hibernian chief said: “To be honest, I was happy stepping away from management which is why I took this role. There are a few jobs, for personal reasons, that I’ve turned down. Maybe at some point I would go back and do it but it’s not something that I’m chasing for the minute. The main thing I prioritised is that I had my old job back when I stepped up, because I’m loving it.”

United’s second outing under Heckingbottom, yesterday’s FA Cup quarter-final at Chelsea, ended in a 2-0 defeat for the visitors; Hakim Ziyech pouncing in added time after Oliver Norwood’s own goal had given the hosts the lead.

As The Star revealed last week, Prince Abdullah and chief executive Steve Bettis, whose close friend Jason Tindall joined the coaching staff following Wilder’s exit, have received “numerous” applications for a job which is expected to begin with a major overhaul of a squad which enters the international break at the bottom of the Premier League table and 14 points adrift of safety with only nine matches remaining.

Heckingbottom returned to Yorkshire in July, after being tasked with overseeing United’s under-23 squad, and has confirmed he will have no hesitation in calling upon more home-grown youngsters after handing Iliman Ndiaye his debut during a 5-0 defeat at Leicester City eight days ago.

“I wanted to make sure that everybody at the club understood that (the development post) is important to me,” Heckingbottom said, reflecting upon the conversations which took place before he stepped into the breach when Wilder’s reign ended. “I wasn’t trying to climb a ladder and never have been. I enjoy this job I’m doing now and I enjoy the job I was doing before.”

Heckingbottom has said he spoke to Wilder before agreeing to become United’s caretaker manager, out of respect for the person who helped bring him to the club. It is thought Wilder actually suggested his former colleague should be handed the job after it was decided the relationship between him and United’s hierarchy had become untenable due to a series of disagreements about finance and recruitment policy. However, it was Prince Abdullah, Bettis and the Saudi Arabian’s associate Jan van Winckel who effectively had the final say, with the latter believed to have informed Heckingbottom that Tindall was being drafted in to help assist behind the scenes.

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