Sheffield United's 'disappointment' at striker's international snub

After scoring for the 13th time this season during Sunday’s FA Cup quarter-final victory over Blackburn Rovers and helping United climb to second in the Championship, McBurnie had been expected to feature in Steve Clarke’s plans for the upcoming Euro 2024 qualifiers against Cyprus and Spain.

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But the 26-year-old discovered last week that he had been overlooked for the Group A encounters, with Clarke preferring Queens Park Rangers’ Lyndon Dykes and Jacob Brown of Stoke City instead.

Although Heckingbottom was at pains to point out that he was not being critical of his opposite number’s selections, he did admit to hoping that McBurnie would be granted an opportunity to showcase the improvements he has made to his game since recovering from a series of fitness issues including hernia surgery.

“I’d have loved to have seen Oli there,” Heckingbottom told The Star. “It’s a shame in a way because I think they (Scotland) would have seen a real change in him, because he’s now able to be himself again.”

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“What Oli’s got to do now is keep working hard and keeping getting better and better,” he added. “Everyone knows how highly we rate him and I know what Scotland means to him as well.”

With AFC Bournemouth’s Ryan Christie and former United player Che Adams, now of Southampton, completing Scotland’s attacking options for the Group A games, McBurnie had hoped to force his way back into Clarke’s thinking following a series of impressive performances at domestic level.

He has claimed as many goals this term as Brown and Dykes combined, with the latter not finding the back of the net for the past four months.

Having entered the international break three points clear of third placed Middlesbrough, having played one game less than Michael Carrick’s side, McBurnie’s displays have been a driving force behind United’s move into contention for automatic promotion to the Premier League. They return to league action with a visit to Norwich City next month, before facing Wigan Athletic, Burnley, Cardiff City and Bristol City ahead of their meeting with Manchester City at Wembley.

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