Sheffield United hail the return of "big game player" at key moment of the season

Fleck could make only his 12th league start of the season at Reading tomorrow, where second-placed United will attempt to move seven points clear of Middlesbrough in third. With the race to reach the Premier League delicately poised following their defeat by Blackburn Rovers over the weekend, Heckingbottom told The Star he is delighted United can once again call upon someone of Fleck’s character and character at such a critical stage of the campaign. The Scot has now recovered from the leg injury which troubled him before Christmas.

“It was straight away after coming in, when I realised what type of guy John is,” said Heckingbottom, referring to his spell in caretaker charge of United two years ago. “I’d come in, without even really having a chance to speak to the lads, and we got beaten pretty heavily at Leicester City which carried on what was a difficult Premier League season. The next day, at training, we wanted a reset. Right from that minute, I remember looking around the group and you could just see this dead eyed look on John’s face - he knew what it was all about and he stood up massively. That told me straight away what he was all about, the type of character he was. Didzy (David McGoldrick) who isn’t part of the group now, he was another one. Exactly the same. It spoke volumes about their personalities and their professionalism.”

Heckingbottom was appointed on a permanent basis 16 months ago, when his predecessor Slavisa Jokanovic was sacked. Previously of Barnsley, Leeds and Hibernian, Heckingbottom has won 38 and drawn 15 of his 69 matches at the helm since then, also guiding United from the lower reaches of the table into the play-offs last term.

“During my involvement, John has been involved in all of the really big performances,” Heckingbottom said. “Again, that tells you a lot about him. He always steps up.”

“The more people like him available, particularly right now,” Heckingbottom added, “The better for us.”