LONDON, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 07: Paul Heckingbottom, Manager of Sheffield United during the Premier League match between Fulham FC and Sheffield United at Craven Cottage on October 07, 2023 in London, England. (Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images)

Paul Heckingbottom urges players to step up

Paul Heckingbottom emphasised the importance of leadership and unity in his latest press conference, as Sheffield United strives to climb the Premier League standings.

LONDON, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 30: Paul Heckingbottom of Sheffield United during the Premier League match between West Ham United and Sheffield United at London Stadium on September 30, 2023 in London, England. (Photo by Henry Browne/Getty Images)

When asked about the captain’s armband in light of the absence of influential figures like John Egan and Chris Basham, the manager stated that captaining the Blades is a significant responsibility.

“We need 11 captains. 100% do. [The captain] is almost becoming irrelevant to me. We had Egs, your captain’s gone, your vice captain’s gone. I almost feel like naming one and making it as if it’s really important, no, we need more than that. We need more players. We’ve got natural ones in there, we’ve got experience who have done it before.

“I don’t want it to be seen as the armband and that’s all that comes with that role, I want more from it. There’s more to what that looks like Monday to Friday than on a Saturday afternoon.” [SUTV]

Heckingbottom has encountered a tough journey in the Premier League, with 14 losses out of his 18 games (78% – W3 D1). Among managers who have overseen 10 or more games in the competition, only Jan Siewert holds a higher loss ratio, with 80% losses (12 defeats in 15 games).

 

 

 

Tags Paul Heckingbottom Sheffield United