Paul Heckingbottom lands new job as former Hibs boss joins Sheffield United

Former Easter Road boss has been out of the game since November

New role: Former Hibs head coach Paul Heckingbottom

Former Hibs boss Paul Heckingbottom has landed a new role in football.

The Yorkshireman, who departed Easter Road in November last year after an inauspicious start to the 2019/20 season left the club in the lower reaches of the Scottish Premiership, has been appointed lead coach of Sheffield United’s Under-23 side after being linked with the role last month.

The 43-year-old will join the English Premier League side with immediate effect.

The role is Heckingbottom’s first job since departing Hibs, although he was linked in December with the managerial vacancy at Bristol Rovers and was reportedly in the running for the Hull City job last month.

Welcoming the appointment of Heckingbottom, Sheffield United academy manager Jack Lester said: "Paul is a fantastic coach and a great appointment for the club.

"He brings a wealth of experience to the academy and we are delighted to have secured his services.

"We have some excellent prospects coming through in the next few years and it is vital we have top coaches, like Paul, and Derek Geary, who remains lead coach for the under-18s, to develop them."

Heckingbottom is well known in the region, having played for and managed hometown club Barnsley before a short stint at Leeds United in the first half of 2018.

He succeeded Neil Lennon as Hibs boss in February 2019, leading the club on an unbeaten league run of ten matches including a first Edinburgh derby win at Tynecastle in six years.

However, Hibs struggled in the early part of last term and with just one win from their opening 11 matches, Heckingbottom was dismissed following a 5-2 League Cup semi-final defeat at the hands of Celtic, with the Easter Road side languishing in tenth place in the Scottish top flight.

New head coach Jack Ross succeeded Heckingbottom on 15 November.

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