'Great things lie ahead' - Prince Abdullah and Yusuf Giansiracusa send Sheffield United message

Owner Prince Abdullah and chairman Yusuf Giansiracusa have sent a message to supporters after the season came to a close on Tuesday night. Paul Heckingbottom's men missed out on a place in the Championship play-off final on penalties to Nottingham Forest after managing to overturn a 3-1 aggregate deficit at half-time and take the tie to spot-kicks.

It was a bitterly disappointing way for the campaign to finish, having done so well to get to that stage. United were 16th in the table at the time of Heckingbottom's appointment, but lost six of his 27 matches to climb the table and secure a magnificent fifth-placed finish.

Although it was a heart-breaking way to end, Sheffield United enter the summer with a feeling of pride at the way the club galvanised itself in the wake of relegation and a disappointing start to this campaign. And that's very much the message from the top.

In a joint statement to fans on the club's website, they said: "Little more than 24 hours is hardly enough time to process what happened on Tuesday following the expiration of extra-time. There are, however, a few things we can say with confidence.

"We have never been more proud to be a Blade. We're proud of the leadership that Paul, Jack and Stuart have demonstrated since November.

"We're proud of the competitive grit that our players demonstrated despite all those voices counting them out. We're proud of the class exhibited by our fans before, during and after the match at the City Ground and indeed, throughout the season.

"We have had our share of setbacks over the past 24 months, some amplified by our own failings. Nevertheless, while the loss weighs heavy on our hearts, we are incredibly optimistic about our future.

"Character matters. We lost