Sheffield United boss's challenge to Kyron Gordon after impressive showing against Barnsley

Gordon has been thrust into Championship action from almost nowhere, after playing on loan for Boston United in the National League North at the turn of the year.

An unprecedented injury crisis in United’s defence saw him make a league debut for his boyhood club away at Millwall, and he has kept clean sheets in his last two games to help the Blades go back into the play-offs by beating Barnsley on Saturday.

Gordon’s performance in United’s 2-0 victory was probably his most assured yet – something Heckingbottom attributes to the young man “finding his feet” in the Blades’ first-team set-up.

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“I know Kyron and he's got a lot of development to do,” Heckingbottom, who worked closely with Gordon during his time as United’s U23 manager, said.

“He's not the finished player but probably his biggest quality is that he knows the game. Tactically he knows the game, and I want him to play like a first-team player.

“It's difficult, when you're asking young boys to come and organise and talk. But he does know the game, and the information he would give would be correct or good information.

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“So as he's finding his feet and feeling more comfortable, you're seeing that in his performances.”

A Sheffield-born Blades fan, Gordon has previously reportedly attracted admiring glances from clubs including Manchester United and Leeds as he approaches the expiry of his contract this summer.

United are thought to hold an option to extend it by another year, however.

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