Sheffield United receive undertaking from new staff member, whose CV makes him perfect
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Although Paul Heckingbottom would not prevent him from making a return to frontline management following a brief spell in charge of Cardiff City, it is understood the 41-year-old stressed he views the role as a serious career option during the interview process.
Hudson’s move to South Yorkshire will come as a relief to Heckingbottom, who first began petitioning United’s board to hire someone capable of providing tailor made sessions for the likes of John Egan and George Baldock midway through last term. With his assistants Jack Lester and Stuart McCall assuming responsibility for tutoring United’s forwards and attackers respectively, Heckingbottom had combined that work with his overall responsibilities at Bramall Lane as the club gained promotion from the Championship.
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Hide AdBut he accepted the arrangement was not ideal, noting that “some lads might not want to bring up certain things with me because I’m also their boss and it comes on top of the other things I need to be doing, taking a broader view of what’s happening.”
Hudson revealed his dedication to United during an interview with their in-house media department, describing it as “amazing” and “an honour” to be handed the position.
Heckingbottom is convinced that Hudson will prove a shrewd investment, particularly given the quality of the opposition United are preparing to face when the new campaign begins on August 12th.
Hiring someone who not only boasts a proven track record as a player but crucially, given the demands of the job, is also an experienced coach and communicator appears to be a smart move.
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Hide Ad“Mark will bring a lot of that (experience),” Heckingbottom said. “He’ll be adding a lot of detail and support to the defenders.”
“He’s got that experience,” Heckingbottom continued. “He’s played in that position all the way through to the top level.”
Heckingbottom previously worked as United’s lead development coach, before succeeding Slavisa Jokanovic 20 months ago. Prior to that, he had overseen the first team in a caretaker capacity, following Chris Wilder’s departure.