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Former player with pedigree has case to succeed Paul Heckingbottom as Sheffield United manager
We often hear about succession planning when it comes to player recruitment, so why not have succession planning in mind when identifying the next manager to carry the torch? Paul Heckingbottom will one day leave, either through choice or that of the board.
Hopefully, that won’t be before achieving his goal of stabilising the club in the Premier League having achieved a fully sustainable future. But when that time comes, Nick Montgomery has a case to succeed him.
The former midfielder, who spent 12 years at Bramall Lane and was part of the team promoted to the Premier League under Neil Warnock, is the talk of football Down Under having just turned Central Coast Mariners into A League champions following a stunning Grand Final victory. A closer look at how he achieved that suggests he could be a perfect fit for Sheffield United in the future.
He joined the club as a player after his time at Bramall Lane came to an end in 2012 before learning the ropes with a spell in the academy and then as assistant manager. He has only been in the dugout himself as a boss for two years but he has already turned them into winners.
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What makes his success even more impressive is the fact he has achieved this with the youngest team in A League history. Leading clubs from around Europe have already snapped up some of the talent he has brought through and he has played a leading part in the development of wonderkid Garang Kuol, who joined Newcastle United in January.
Sheffield United are currently a development club, looking to bring through young players into the first team as part of a move towards a self-sufficient model. He has already shown he has the pedigree to nurture talent.
But more than that, he is a winner and is ambitious. Speaking to the Mailonline about his future, he revealed he would love to return to England and manage in the Premier League.
“To take over the team with the smallest budget in the league, people told me I was crazy, calling it ‘managerial suicide’. I knew it would be a massive challenge, but anyone who knows me knows I love a challenge,” he said.
“As an Englishman from Leeds, to win the league with a club which has never had a marquee player – and with the youngest team and smallest budget – is unbelievable.
“Beating Melbourne City last weekend was a David and Goliath story and the equivalent of Luton Town defeating Manchester City. I always believed I could get to the Premier League as a player.
“I was never the most talented player, but with hard work, honesty and staying humble you can achieve anything in life. As a manager, I’m no different, but probably every manager around the world wants to manage in the Premier League or Championship.
“I’m really proud of what I’ve achieved so far, but I’m ambitious and managing in England one day would be unbelievable. Central Coast Mariners would not hold me back – the owner has already said that – so to have that support is amazing.”
While Sheffield United’s recruitment team are busy looking at players for the future, those in the corridors of power could do worse than keeping tabs on Montgomery’s progress.
