Former Hibs manager set for exit after reaching new low

Former Hibees gaffer is set for the sack following poor league results

Ex-Hibs manager and Sheffield United boss Paul Heckingbottom is set to be sacked following the Blades 5-0 defeat to Burnley on Saturday. This latest defeat now sees the side at the bottom of the table with just five points from their 14 fixtures and appears to be the final nail in the coffin for the 46-year-old.

The former Hibees boss was unable to hide his frustration at many of his players, including striker Oli McBurnie, who was sent off. Heckingbottom insisted that he could leave the stadium with his head held high, but insinuated that his players could not do the same.

Heckingbottom managed Hibs in 2019, coming into the position in February and sending the Hibees on an unbeaten run which included a Derby win at Tynecastle. However, the start of the 2019/20 season saw Hibs win just one of their opening eleven matches and the ex-Sunderland player was subsequently sacked.

Now, after two years with the Blades, he is set to be on the hunt for his next job. Heckingbottom joined Sheffield United as U-23s manager, becoming the first team coach in November 2021. His first season saw the side reach the play-off semi-finals, subsequently losing to Nottingham Forest.

United's promotion back to the Premier League was confirmed in April 2023 with Heckingbottom winning the Manager of the Month award for the third time in a season. However, with eleven losses so far this season, it seems Heckingbottom's time with the Blades is nearly over.

As reported by The Star, Chris Wilder could be in contention to return to his boyhood club with Heckingbottom likely to have just a few hours left in his current position. Wilder, a Bramall Lane icon, won two promotions with his hometown club after returning, and led them to a memorable ninth-placed finish in the Premier League during a season which saw them challenge for Europe before Covid-19 and a national lockdown derailed them.

Wilder left the following season after a breakdown in relations with the club's hierarchy - but those relationships appear to have been patched up in the years since and he is now reportedly keen on the idea of another grand return.