Sheffield United have laid out the promotion blueprint, former Sheffield Wednesday striker says

Sheffield United provided Preston North End with a lesson about what it takes to win promotion from the Championship, the visitors’ manager Ryan Lowe said, after watching his team capitulate after drawing level at Bramall Lane.

Congratulating United on securing Premier League status next term - “Genuinely, I’m made up for them. They’ve been away and now they’re back. Well done” - the former Sheffield Wednesday striker highlighted the mindset of Paul Heckingbottom’s players as the driving force behind their 4-1 victory.

“I want to progress,” Lowe said, after a flurry of second-half goals from United ended his team’s play-off hopes. “I want to get to the level Sheffield United are heading for. I don’t want people who are just going to lay down.

“There’s been times this season when we could have gone on to get results but we haven’t. I don’t want to be a mid-table team. These are moments that you’ve got to take to get to the next stage. I don’t just want to be a good team. I want to be a very good team.”

A visibly emotional Lowe briefly appeared to question his own future at Deepdale, after watching goals from John Fleck, Iliman Ndiaye and Oli McBurnie propel United to their 27th victory of the season after Liam Delap had cancelled out Anel Ahmedhodzic’s opener. Although he later backtracked, insisting he needed to sit down and discuss recruitment with Preston’s footballing advisor Peter Risdale, Lowe then made a point which will resonate with Heckingbottom. Despite leading United back into the top-flight, the 45-year-old has been forced to contend with a variety of issues behind the scenes this term including a transfer embargo, reliance upon loan signings and issues with the pitches at the club’s training complex. Speaking at Thursday’s pre-match media conference, assistant manager Stuart McCall also indicated that coaching staff are still to discover their recruitment budget as they begin planning for next season.

“We need a plan and a vision of where we want to go,” Lowe said. “You can’t just go 12 months by 12 months.”