Paul Heckingbottom linked with immediate return to management as bookies make him favourite to take over ex-Prem giants
FORMER Sheffield United boss Paul Heckingbottom could make an immediate return to management.
Heckingbottom only lost his job on Tuesday but could immediately replace Tony Mowbray at Sunderland.
Bookies BetVictor have him installed as joint 2/1 favourite to take over at the Stadium of Light.
He is now level favourite with French coach Julien Sable, who was tipped as the man who had been lined up by Sunderland to immediately replace Mowbray.
But Heckingbottom’s sudden presence as a free agent on the managerial market may see Sunderland make an opportunistic appointment instead.
Heckingbottom’s connection with Sunderland has also boosted the chances of him getting the job as he came through the academy there.
He never made a first team league appearance for the Black Cats however, and left to join Darlington in 1999.
Heckingbottom made his name as a manager when managing Barnsley from 2016 until 2018.
Unsuccessful stints at Leeds and Hibernian followed, but he did well at Sheffield United having taken over as an interim from Chris Wilder in 2021.
The club brought in Slavisa Jokanovic as their full-time manager ahead of the 2021-22 season but after a poor start turned back to Heckingbottom.
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He did a stellar job in getting the club promoted to the Premier League last campaign despite s multitude of financial issues for the club.
Those issues contributed to a disastrous start to this year’s Premier League, with Heckingbottom sacked after the club accrued just 5 points from their opening 14 games.
He was then replaced by his predecessor Chris Wilder.
Sunderland could be an attractive prospect for Heckingbottom after the club reached the Championship play-offs last season.
They have exciting young talents in the form of Jack Clarke and Jobe Bellingham but find themselves ninth in the Championship table.
Sunderland host West Brom today at 12:30.