Sunderland have been linked with a number of potential new bosses since sacking Tony Mowbray, with a few domestic names thrown in their too.
It was almost expected that Sunderland would look overseas for their next boss.
The club has a very ‘Euro-feel’ about it in the way that they’re run and in the way they recruit, and reports have suggested that overseas is where Sunderland will conduct the bulk of their managerial search.
But a few names in England have emerged as potential candidates, with Ipswich Town boss Kieran McKenna perhaps expectedly linked, along with a more surprising candidate in Sol Bamba.
But one name who hasn’t been linked, as of yet anyway, is Paul Heckingbottom.
James Shield surprised at lack of Paul Heckingbottom to Sunderland links
Heckingbottom is fresh out of work after being sacked by Sheffield United yesterday.
The Blades have made a torrid start to the season and look destined for relegation, though Heckingbottom will be fondly remember after guiding the club to promotion from the Championship last time round.
And although he’s only just lost his job, Sheffield football journalist James Shield has suggested that Heckingbottom could be a good option for the Black Cats as they search for Mowbray’s successor.
Shield posted on X:
Would Heckingbottom be a good fit for Sunderland?
The 46-year-old certainly has a good CV.
He held positions at Barnsley, Leeds United, and Hibernian before landing the United job, and wherever he went he was a fairly well-liked figure.
He’s obviously a very knowledgeable manager who knows the Championship well, and who dons an attacking and effective style of play which we saw at Sheffield United last time round.
And he guided the Blades to promotion without a lot of investment for his own signings, dealing with multiple injuries along the way, as well as noise off the pitch.
But Heckingbottom is a very hands-on manager and whether he’d like the Sunderland head coach job, which appears to be more focused on the players than the bigger picture so to say, remains to be seen.
And having been at Sheffield United for two years, experiencing lots of highs and lows, it’d be understandable that he’d take a break from football for a while.
Sunderland look like they want a manager in quick and so that might explain why Heckingbottom isn’t in the conversation right now.
But given his availability and experience, he may yet come into the picture, and he’d be a solid option too.