Paul Heckingbottom’s appetite for management still strong despite ups and downs

The former Leeds United boss has dramatically re-emerged as the bookmakers’ favourite to become the next head coach of Hibs after negotiations with Heckingbottom’s rival for the post, ex-Oxford United manager and Leicester City assistant Michael Appleton, apparently hit an impasse.

The pair were identified as the leading contenders to succeed Neil Lennon. Their names were singled out from a list of around 100 applicants, both impressing Easter Road chief executive Leeann Dempster and George Craig, the club’s head of football operations, when they met down south.

The Evening News understands that while Appleton appeared to have edged in front, Hibs had also continued to speak to Heckingbottom and now, since talks with Appleton have stalled, it would be no surprise if he were to be unveiled as the next head coach at Easter Road.

Like Appleton, Heckingbottom has been out of work since the summer, sacked by the Elland Road outfit after only four months in charge, making way for 63-year-old Argentine Marcelo Bielsa.

Heckingbottom’s move to Leeds had been a controversial one, coming just three days after he’d signed a contract extension with Barnsley, a club he’d played for, having guided the Tykes to promotion to the Championship via the play-offs and into 14th place on their return, and to victory in the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy.

Now, after being out of football for the first time since leaving school at the age of 15, Heckingbottom – who has a Masters degree in Sports Coaching – has admitted: “I have got itchy feet, big time. But I knew I was right not to jump straight back in.”

Instead, after such a tumultuous first half of 2018, the 41-year-old spent some quality time with his family before beginning to refresh his skills set in preparation for his next challenge, days spent taking in countless games, seeking the opinions of others whether in football, psychology or business.

He told the Yorkshire Post: “It was a great summer in terms of the weather and the kids were off and I enjoyed all that. But I also had things I wanted to do and it felt like I was still working too.

“I was getting up to tick a list off and thought, ‘I need to do this and that’. Then I started to think, ‘what am I doing?’

“It hit me that I was not in work for the first time ever, it crept up without me realising. But I made that commitment to get better at certain things and I have done.

“I have been down to various clubs when I can and studied games – things which I needed to know. I downloaded ten games of [Maurizio] Sarri playing 4-3-3 for Napoli for instance and looked at his differences compared to [Pep] Guardiola. It is just daft little things.

“I have spoken to everyone, managers who are not working and ones who are now. It was good going up to see Rafa Benitez at Newcastle for example. We spoke a lot about the politics of football and things like that and there were certain parallels between Newcastle and me at Barnsley.”

Heckingbottom’s departure from Oakwell, where he’d overseen more than 100 games, triggered plenty of anger among fans who had previously adored him, Leeds paying £500,000 to activate a release clause in his contract to allow him to replace Thomas Christiansen.

At that juncture, Barnsley were hovering just above the relegation zone – they later dropped into League One – but, he insisted, he felt his he was done there. He said: “In terms of my time there, it was fantastic, everyone knows I played there.

“Everything sort of runs its time, that’s what happened at Barnsley. Lots of things changed, I didn’t really have any value there. You’ve got to feel valued and wanted and like you’re making a difference.

“It was beginning to feel like I wasn’t, so you look for different challenges. There were opportunities where I could have gone somewhere else before that but I didn’t want to.

“There became a point where myself, family and people I am close to knew that next time there was an opportunity I would want to go.”

While Heckingbottom’s time at Leeds was short, he is adamant those experiences will make him a better manager in the long run. He said: “Leeds was a big job, a big club and I loved it.

“There were lots of things we need to do and change behind the scenes and lot of big, tough decisions needed to be made. Barnsley was a lot more all-consuming as you felt you were on your own a lot of the time.

“In the couple of years I was there I took on a lot of roles and responsibilities and was driving to get things done. At Leeds there were lots of staff and decision makers. It was totally different but the value of both experiences has been really good, definitely.

“I took a lot of positives from Leeds when I look back. But the disappointing thing was that they came and got me because they wanted X, Y and Z and spelt it out and said ‘this has got to happen’.

“But within a couple of weeks it was not happening. I took people on and had arguments over it and tried to make changes and did. It maybe quickened by exit a little bit.

“But the worst thing I could have done was sit tight knowing it is going to fail ten months down the line and then get the boot.”

Heckingbottom’s experiences have effectively amounted to a two-and-a-half year crash course in every aspect of football management, but have in no way diminished his enthusiasm for the job.

He said: “There is lots wrong with management in how crazy it is. It can be an impossible job, but it is a drive.

“I have had a taste of it and three good years at it and have learned a lot. That all-consuming challenge is what I miss. Until that changes I will keep doing it.”