Sheffield United hail Jack O'Connell's 'key' contribution to huge promotion

Paying tribute to the strength O’Connell has shown in the face of adversity as he continues to try and recover from a serious knee complaint, Heckingbottom detailed how the 29-year-old’s work behind the scenes helped steel United for another gruelling campaign which, after surviving a serious injury crisis before the World Cup break, also saw them reach the semi-finals of the FA Cup where they faced Manchester City at Wembley.

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O’Connell, who won two promotions at Bramall Lane and helped United finish ninth in the Premier League before eventually succumbing to the unspecified condition, received a rapturous reception from supporters when he joined his team mates on the pitch last weekend; marking their final home match before returning to the top-flight with a 4-1 victory over Preston North End.

Speaking ahead of tomorrow’s visit to Huddersfield Town, the penultimate assignment on United’s 2022/23 schedule, Heckingbottom told The Star: “Jack is so highly thought of here and that’s why, because of everything he’s done, we made sure he was right in the middle of the celebrations - because he’s been so important to what we’ve achieved.

“We’ve always made sure he’s been involved and that’s because he has got something to bring to the table. I always go back to pre-season, when we went away to Portugal, and we gave the lads a bit of time off to play golf, go to the beach or whatever. Oli (McBurnie) and Jack went to the beach for a swim and then, later that evening, I saw Jack putting him through a really strong gym session. He leads a lot of them for us, designing the circuits and overseeing them. He’s phenomenal at them and that work he’s put in, plus the example he has set, trust me, it’s made a big, big difference.”

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With his contract about to expire and no date set for his return to action, Heckingbottom’s words underline what a huge miss O’Connell will be if, as expected, he leaves United later this summer. Signed by Heckingbottom’s predecessor Chris Wilder, O’Connell quickly developed into one of the game’s most talked about defenders after helping to change perceptions about how defenders should operate with his rampaging runs forward from deep lying positions. After rejecting the chance to join Brighton and Hove Albion before United’s relegation from the PL, O’Connell was being tipped for full England honours when disaster struck following a game against Aston Villa.

Although United have steadfastly refused to provide details on his future, with Heckingbottom arguing it is important to respect the player’s privacy, the chances of seeing O’Connell in United colours again appear almost non-existent with many expecting him to announce his retirement shortly.

“Anyone who saw him get dragged off by the lads live on television, when he was getting interviewed after we’d gone up,” said Heckingbottom, “Well, they can’t be under any illusions about how Jack is thought of here.”

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