Sheffield United's Jack Lester on Neil Warnock, Huddersfield and ice cold swims at Scarborough

The only trouble is, Bramall Lane’s head of player development acknowledges, the overwhelming majority of them might not be suitable for print. Either because they contain some pretty industrial language or would contravene the sanctity of the football dressing room.

So as newly promoted United prepare for tonight’s visit to West Yorkshire, where he will once again make the acquaintance of the manager who first introduced him to Bramall Lane, Lester chooses a couple he believes best reveal how the 74-year-old works and why Paul Heckingbottom’s side know they are going to be in for one hell of a battle despite Town’s perilous predicament towards the foot of the Championship table.

“The thing about Neil is that, no matter what the situation was, he always made sure you had fun,” Lester tells The Star, revealing he sees similarities between the squad Heckingbottom has just steered into the Premier League and one he joined in 2003 after being signed by Warnock. “I remember once, him taking us all to the beach in Scarborough where of course he’d worked before, and getting us all chucking these stones into a circle or skimming them into the sea. The losers had to dive in and go for a swim. At the time, it seemed like daft little things. But do you know what? It really brought us all together.”

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Lester scored 16 goals in 50 appearances for United, before returning to Nottingham Forest the season before Warnock led them into the top-flight. He returned at the behest of Chris Wilder, who would repeat that feat nearly a decade-and-a-half later; initially to oversee United’s academy programme before, when Heckingbottom was appointed 18 months ago, joining the senior coaching staff.

Although Lester has spoken about his admiration for the man at the helm today, labelling him as the best “tactician” he has experienced since entering the professional game, the ex-striker’s respect for Warnock is still in evidence as United prepare for the penultimate assignment of the season which, no matter what the result, will see them finish second in the rankings.

“With Neil, there would also be a reason to win in the team talks,” he says. “Either before the game or at half-time. And, looking back, if there wasn’t something obvious he’d make damn sure he found on just to fire you up. He created that winning mentality and the spirit you need to get the big results. Just like the boys have got here now.”

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Huddersfield looked destined for relegation when Warnock took charge in February. They now require only a point from their remaining two outings to guarantee survival; something Lester’s old boss insists would be the greatest achievement on a CV boasting eight promotions and a similarly ridiculous escape act at United’s neighbours Rotherham.

Confirming Heckingbottom’s squad were “fired up” by suggestions that they would be pipped to the runners-up berth after being beaten by play-off qualifiers Middlesbrough earlier this term, Lester continues: “You can look into things, you see things and you hear things, and you can get a bit annoyed by it. Then it’s all about channelling things in the right way. Listen, here we’d have wanted to go up anyway. You couldn’t have given us any more incentive because it’s the prize we all wanted. But there are things you can use. And that’s something Neil is a master at as well.”

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Warnock recently revealed his delight at seeing United return to the highest level of English football. But Lester and Heckingbottom, who was lavished with praise by his predecessor, know it would be a mistake to interpret those words as a sign Warnock will go easy on them. Particularly as United chase the club record he set for the most number of points collected during a second tier campaign.

“I watched that documentary Michael Jordan did about his life in basketball, what took him to the top and made him the best he ever was,” Lester says. “I remember one bit where he said, even if he liked someone, he made up a reason for hating them before he faced them on the court. That’s the competitive spirit you need. It’s not manufactured. It can’t come from something that’s written on a poster and hung up on a wall. It has to be who you are. This is such a relentless competition, the Championship. There are always going to be hiccups and challenges and, in order to overcome them, you need that outlook. You need that edge.”

United make the short journey to the John Smith’s Stadium searching for their 28th win of the season, averaging 1.6 goals per league game and having conceded only 37. Town are in 21st place and will condemn Reading to the third tier if they secure a draw.

I’ve bumped into Neil a few times,” Lester says. “I really enjoyed playing for him. We had some great times here. There will be clear instructions from him. He makes players feel good and confident. He keeps things very simple and there is an art to that: Break it down into bite sized things that gel. It was competitive, It was a lot of my family’s favourite time. It (United) is always very welcoming to players. That’s what makes it so special.”

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