Baldock: How 'Wilder-like' Heckingbottom saved Sheff Utd's season

When Sheffield United were relegated after their second season back in the Premier League, their final tally of 23 points slotted in as the seventh-lowest return in the history of the competition.

Given that - and the fact their 29 defeats represented a joint-league record - there was every reason for a shake up at Bramall Lane last summer. With Chris Wilder having left his job as manager in March, the new chief would have a clean slate to build from, too.

Interim boss Paul Heckingbottom stepped up from his role as U23s manager to oversee the final 10 games of 2020/21, guiding the Blades to three wins along the way, leading to speculation that he might be that man.

"I'd be lying if I said there was a happy atmosphere at the club at that time - there wasn't," defender George Baldock says in an exclusive interview with Sky Sports.

"We had such a good time during the first season in the Premier League and everything was sunshine and rainbows. Last year was tough, especially with the manager [Wilder] going. I had a special relationship with him for so long, but when Paul Heckingbottom came in, he really raised everyone's spirits.

"He wouldn't allow anyone to get down and feel sorry for themselves. The season was done, in terms of relegation, and it was just about restoring some pride. We won a few games, which was pleasing, and we started to look a bit more like ourselves.

"It gave us a chance to prepare for returning to the Championship, but there was the element of the unknown as well because we didn't know who was going to be the manager, what philosophy would be in place and things like that."

In the end, the club opted for glamour over ongoing stability and Slavisa Jokanovic was the candidate selected to take the club