Sheffield United: Why experienced campaigner Paul Heckingbottom loves the play-offs

Heckingbottom has experienced just about every emotion the drama-filled end-of-season knockouts create – and readily admits this is his favourite part of the season.

"Can you tell?” he asks rhetorically with a smile.

"It’s what you play for. Whether you are playing or managing, if you’re stood on the touchline there last game of the season with nothing at stake you just want to get out of there.

"You want to be on your holiday, you’re done and you’re thinking about next season. We’ve still got something to play for, so it’s great, and it’s the biggest prize you could play for.”

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Heckingbottom guided Barnsley to the Championship via the play-offs in the 2015/16 season after leading a turnaround in the second half of the campaign not too dissimilar from the one he’s pulled off at Bramall Lane.

He was a veteran of no fewer than four play-off campaigns as a player, including a successful one with ‘that lot’ in 2005 and another with the Tykes one year later.

The bitter taste of defeat was also experienced twice; once with Scarborough in the old third division in 1998 and again two years later with Darlington, this time at Wembley Stadium.

Any lessons learnt along the way?

"You have got to enjoy them,” he says.

"They’re unique, you have got to embrace it.

"The size of the games take care of themselves. Preparation is key; be calm during the week and the game day takes care of itself.”