Sheffield United starlet rises to boss’s challenge with second hat-trick in two games

Paul Heckingbottom has challenged Louie Marsh to “keep playing well” in a bid to force his way into the manager’s Premier League plans - and the Sheffield United starlet is certainly rising to it. The 19-year-old scored his second hat-trick in two U21 games earlier today, as United beat Bristol City 4-0.

Marsh is still to make his senior debut for the Blades but has been on the bench for the first two games of the current Premier League campaign, after an impressive 2022/23 season saw him top the 20-goal mark for United’s U21s. As the former U21 boss, Heckingbottom has a particular remit to keep developing young talent and will be keeping a close eye on Marsh’s progress, after he followed up his opening-day treble against Ipswich Town with another hat-trick in the first half against the Robins.

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All parties involved accept that there is a significant gap between U21s football and the Premier League, with the scale of the challenge facing United this season laid bare by the fact they face treble-winning Manchester City next up at Bramall Lane. But academy products Andre Brooks, Will Osula and Antwoine Hackford have tasted senior minutes already this season and with United’s summer of frustration in the transfer market continuing, it may only be a matter of time before Marsh gets his chance.

We’ve gone a different league, a different type of player. If we want a centre forward and clubs are offering us young centre forwards we have plenty of them, who are ours. So we want to make it’s someone with a different profile to what we’ve already got, different experience or a different standard. If it’s like for like, its tough for me to push for more money for something we’ve already got in the building.

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“It is a big step, but it’s up to him,” said Heckingbottom when asked about Marsh, and what he has to do to get in the team. “He’s got to play well. Look at the opposition [in the U21s] and the opposition we’ve faced so far, against Palace and Forest. Totally different.

“But the opportunities are there, we’ve started with Will, and Antwoine and Brooksy have come on. They know they’ll get an opportunity, so it’s just about playing well and taking the chances when they come up.”

Marsh and his U21 colleagues will be heartened to hear Heckingbottom’s pledge to not sign players for the sake of it before next week’s transfer deadline, with the boss focused on quality rather than quantity and targeting players who can make an instant impact on the starting XI rather than simply bolster the squad.

“We’ve gone into a different league and need a different type of player,” Heckingbottom added. “If we want a centre forward and clubs are offering us young centre forwards, we have plenty of them, who are ours. So we want to make sure it’s someone with a different profile to what we’ve already got.

“Or different experience to what we’ve already got, or a different standard to what we’ve already got. If it’s like for like, it’s tough for me to push for more money for something we’ve already got in the building.”