Heckingbottom Speaks Out About Daniel Jebbison’s Future

Heckingbottom Speaks Out About Daniel Jebbison’s Future

Sheffield United manager Paul Heckingbottom has told Daniel Jebbison he must prove to him that he deserves a place in the Blades’ first team.

After performing well on loan at Burton Albion in the first half of the season, the teenager was linked with Liverpool, Everton, Brighton and West Ham, but he hasn’t had a great deal of game time following his return to Bramall Lane in January. Heckingbottom says the striker will need to get past the likes of Billy Sharp and Morgan Gibbs-White in order to get into the side:

“He has got to get past them. As simple as that. We look at who is in form. Bill has been doing great and scoring goals. Morgan has too, and there is Iliman [Ndiaye] and Oli [McBurnie]. Jebbo is in and amongst that… He does offer something different. If you think back to when I used him in the Premier League and the role he played, as that nine in really stretching the game and pressing, we used his energy to exploit that space in behind. If he didn’t get it, he’d make space for our 10s.”

“But there have not been many games set up like that this season and that is a difference in this league. But in terms of Jebbo’s development, that is not a bad thing as he is having to work on a lot of things and realise and develop other parts of his game. There’s lots of work going on with Jebbo, without a doubt and he is certainly in the picture. Each one of the strikers is different.”

Jebbison did impress for United’s Under 23 side by scoring in the 4-0 win against Hull City earlier this week but he has made just one appearance since returning to the club, playing the last five minutes in the 4-0 victory over Swansea City last month.

Since then, the Canadian has been an unused substitute in the games against Blackburn Rovers and Millwall.